The 54th Hunger Games: Unexpected
by Gamemaker Allie
Summary: There is something exhilarating in knowing that you hold twenty four lives in the palm of your hand. Most people don't understand it. It's what I live for. It's the control that sends a chill up my spine. . .I love it.
1. District 1 5 Reaping

**District 1-5 Reapings**

**District 1: The Reaping **

**Lyra: **

I put on my reaping gown and meander my way down to the square without telling any of my family. The reaping is always a slow day for me. I don't care about anything, as long as my name isn't the one called. Usually I don't have to worry about that problem, because in District 1, we usually have more than enough volunteers to take my place if I ever were to be called. But for some reason today feels different somehow. There is a sinking feeling growing in the pit of my stomach and I can't quite shake it. Whatever this feeling is, I don't like it.

On my way to the square I find myself making a detour to my favorite place in the entire world. On the outskirts of our District, lies a thin forest, where there is a small apple tree. It's pretty much my home away from home. I sit down, not caring weather my gown gets dirty or not, and find myself settled in a long silence, that is, until Jonathan comes by.

Jonathan is practically my best friend. I'm not sure why though. It's pretty much a mutual thing though. One day we kinda walked home together in complete silence. Then we did the the same the next day, until it became a daily thing. From there we just kinda decided that we were best friends though few words had been passed between us. I don't care though. I still like it.

I push my red bangs out of of eyes as he comes bounding over to me.

"Hey, Lyra," he says and takes a seat next to me. I look at him to acknowledge that I heard him. Normally I don't feel like talking, but today in particular. I feel like even if I opened my mouth, no words would come out.

"I have something for you,"

I nod as he rummages around in his pocket. He pulls out a silver necklace with a red heart dangling from it. He fastens it around my neck. "Something pretty, like you," he tells me as I cradle the heart in my hand. I can't help but smile at him.

"Thanks," I say, and he practically beams.

We sit in silence for a while, Jonathan twiddling his thumbs and me admiring the necklace. Jonathan has the courage to break our silence.

"We should probably head out to the square right now. You know, it being the reaping and all." He says standing up and offering me his hand.

I nod and we both set out to the square, the knot in my stomach growing tighter with each step I take.

**Emerich: **

Finally, the day of the reaping. I could live off of this adrenalin pulsing through me right now. No matter who is reaped, I will be the tribute this year, of that I am sure. Taking my daily shot of steroids, I make my way out to the square to find that it is almost empty. Only the past victors, and this year's mentors, along with the escort remain in the square. I frown at the lack of people to terrify. Oh well, this year's escort seems like a pretty fair target to start on.

She has brilliant electric blue hair that sticks up at odd angles as well as cat eyes. She is nervously pacing the stage tapping her pencil against her schedule. I smirk, she should be an easy scare.

I make my way up to the stage and get right behind her. She turns around sharply and lets out a high-pitched squeak. Funny to see that even the screams in the Capitol are in their weird accent. She takes a moment to regain her composure, her hair has gone slightly more askew than it already was. She looks me up and down, taking in every inch of my artificial muscles and collection of scars. Shes probably terrified right now. I smile at the thought.

She clears her throat then says in a shaky voice, "Please take your seat. The reaping shall soon start."

"Why bother, we already know I'm going to be the tribute this year?" I tell her.

She attempts to shoo me by waving her schedule at me, "Well, that may be your thought, but we have to give everyone a fair shot now don't we."

I nod at her and make my way down to the stage laughing at her ridiculous accent.

**Lyra: **

The reaping goes by quicker than I would have liked it. Before long everyone in the District fills the square and I am surrounded by other fourteen year old girls, all of whom would have loved to be the victor in the games. The escort makes her way on stage. She seems a bit bedraggled as her blue spikes are a bit out of place. She walks over to the reaping ball with all the female names in it and squeaks, "Lady's first!"

I can feel my heart threaten to pop out of my chest, but I force myself to remain calm. I'm not going into the arena today. Some other lucky girl standing around me is. She would much rather die there than I would. All I can do is cross my fingers and hope for the best.

"Lyra Wynes,"

My heart stops. That wasn't my name she just called. It can't be. I can feel the color leave my face as I look around the crowd for volunteers. One girl next to me smiles grimly and mouths, _Have fun_ paired with a cruel laugh. I have a feeling no one is willing to volunteer for me.

Eventually my feet start moving without me telling them to. To my dismay, they lead me right up to the stage.

_Stop feet! I didn't tell you to move! _

I felt like screaming, but I don't. Instead I regain myself and stare out into the crowd of people all willing to watch my die.

"No volunteers? Hmm." The escort says with an air of lightness that makes me sick.

I felt like fainting. I probably would have if my eyes didn't catch Jonathans. His gaze held mine, and in turn, kept my feet firmly planted on the ground, and my head in reality.

**Emerich: **

That girl will be easy prey. I can already see how this will play out. I will recruit her as a part of my Career pack then turn on her unless she can prove she is of some use to me. The crown is just as good as mine.

Cat-Eyes makes her way over to the reaping ball that held all the boys names. But the name she pulls out doesn't belong to me, it belongs to some brat who would ruin District 1's chance at victory. It almost makes me laugh when the small twelve year old takes the stage. Hand goes up instantly.

"I volunteer."

Nobody else would dare to challenge me when it came down to being a volunteer, they all fear me too much.

Cat-Eyes gulps and asks disparately for some volunteers. When there are none I make my way on stage with a cocky smile. I hear her mutter something about getting the only year that District 1 is boring. I don't care. I just won the Hunger Games. Well, I might as well have.

Just give me the crown, it would waste a lot of time.

**Lyra: **

I'm dead. This guy is twice my size, and is obviously on some type of steroid. I can tell why the escort wanted a volunteer, who would want to deal with that guy. Just the sight of him scares me, his body is covered in scars, some of them still bleeding. I try to keep my eyes on Jonathan but I lost him in the crowd. Instead I find my eyes fixed on my competition.

Kill me now. . .

**District 2: Reaping**

**Zach: **

I wake up to the sound of arguing in the corner of my room. I know exactly who it is. Crissy and Mary, my twin sisters and roommate. I smirk and pretend to keep sleeping. In reality, I'm eavesdropping.

"It's my dress!"

"But it looks so much better on me,"

"Crissy, how can you say that, we are identical!"

"So, its settled, I'm wearing it to the reaping."

Oh, that's right, today is the reaping. Good. I have been training all year for the Hunger Games and this year, I am volunteering. And eventually, that crown will be mine. I am competent in the uses of most weapons, especially the mace. If I can get my hands on one of those, the game might as well be over.

"No,"

"Yes,"

"No!"

"Yes!"  
>I hear them start playing tug-o-war with the dress in question and it's not long before it rips.<p>

"See, you ripped it. Now what am I going to wear?"

"I didn't rip it, you did. I don't know what you're wearing but I'm wearing your purple dress."

"You can't do that, Mary!"

"Ladies, let's not fight... unless of course it's over me..." I sit up and smirk at them, the both look at me with equal disgust.

Same look etched on their face they say simultaneously, "Ew." And they walk out of the room. I laugh at them and get ready for the reaping.

**Dahlia: **

**(I'm not sure how to write a mentally handicapped person, especially since you didn't specify what mental handicap she possesses. But I will try my best. Forgive me if I do it wrong)**

I wake up to someone poking me in the arm lightly and repeatedly. I roll over to avoid this poking torment and say groggily, "No, I sleep, go poke someone else." The poking momentarily stops.

"But you need to wake up," Says my sister, Leona. She is handicapable, and can't take care of herself. We are somewhat of best friends seeing as I am always around her. "Today is the reaping."

My eyes snap open and I groan. Leona continues to poke me and I pull the pillow over my face to conceal my scream of frustration. Reluctantly I swing my legs off the the bed to find Leona with a big grin on her face.

"What are you so happy about?" I ask her, a bit groggy and not to mention grumpy.

"New dress." She says and points to the closet.

My reaping dress is gorgeous. It's a light blue color that fades white to the bottom. Honestly, I am to grumpy to appreciate it. I put on a happy face for Leona though because she picked it out.

Leona holds out her hand for me and I take it with a smile. She is dressed in a white sundress that she loves. We walk out the door and head out to the square. I know I shouldn't be afraid of the reaping, my name is only in there a minimal amount, but there is always that small chance. . .

**Zach: **

On my way to the square, I run into my girlfriend, Gigi. She looks stunning today, in a gold reaping gown and her hair done in an intricate bun. I smile at her and she turns away and begins walking faster in the the other direction. Confused I follow her until she whirls around and slaps me.

"Don't even talk to me." she hisses at me and I'm left trailing behind her like a confused puppy.

"Why, baby?"

"Don't call me that!"

"What did I do?"

"Your planning on volunteering today. Don't lie. Crispin told me."

"Yeah, and why is that such a problem?"

"If you have to ask, then you don't deserve to know..." she stalks off leaving me in an estranged state of mind wondering what I have done wrong.

Then I remember something she told me last year. After her brother was killed in the games.

"_Zach, I swear if you ever even think about entering... I will kill you before you even get into the arena."_

I guess she meant it.

I waltz on over to the roped off area for the boys and wait patiently until the capitol freak we call our escort, reads the names. I ignore Gigi's threat. I'm still entering, whether she cares or not.

**Dahlia:**

I guess I fear more for my sister than myself. The reaping never really seems to affect her like it should. She treats it as a normal day where we get to wear bright, pretty things and watch a weirdo pull names out of a bowl. Never has the thought that she could be killed enter her mind.

I stand squished between girls of all ages all crowding to see who will be the next tribute. The capitol escort makes her way over to the girls reaping ball and digs around in it for a while.

"Dahlia Summers." She squeaks.

For a split second I am terrified. But then it passes and reality dawns on me. I could actually win this thing. I'm smart. I can figure out a few traps and pick some off. I can win. And then Leona can wear all the pretty dresses she wants to whenever she wants to.

Confidently I make my way to the stage. I can hear Leona clapping for me through the silence. She doesn't understand what having your name being picked means. She thinks it's good and she is happy for me. I smile at her because I know what she means.

**Zach: **

I couldn't care less what the female tribute is. All I care about is what name is on the next piece of paper the escort pulls out.

"William-"

I don't even give her a chance to finish the name before my hand shoots up.

"I volunteer." Without giving the escort time to register what happened I am on stage and rapidly shaking this strange girls hand. "When do I go in?"

**District 3 Reaping**

**Tasha**

The worst day of my life began on the reaping. And continually begins again once every year. Once every year I feel that pain of losing my sister to that terrible game, and once every year I feel the fear that I could be next. I could be the one in the chariot hiding the tears behind a fake smile, I could be the one dying in some freakish, torturous way.

Today that fear was realized.

The memory seems so vivid, like a dream you could swear actually happened. My breath catches and I feel tears forming in the back of my eyes. Something is forming in my throat, a cry. My name is repeated and someone pushes me forward. I don't bother to hear the other name, all I can hear right now is the pounding in my head, and this strange cruel laughter that my mind must have inserted into the memory, because it seems like it came from a far away district. District 7.

_Oh, I shall have my fun with you. Just like your sister. _

I must have fainted because suddenly it goes black and all I can hear is those words and that laugh. I woke up on the train without any goodbye.

**Andrew **

Reaping days don't mean that much to me. Just another day. Another reason to get out of bed and go out to the town. For what? To watch two people cry their eyes out. I'm not attached to any of them of course. Never really had any friends to care about. Except my abacus.

Never really knew what it felt like to hear your name called to be the next one killed. I'm not sure how it feels really because I have no intention of being killed. I'm sure the cornucopia isn't as hard as people make it seems. Those who die in it must be pretty stupid.

I'm not stupid.

**District 4 Reaping**

**Rascoe**

Looking at the previous District Reapings gives me something to do on reaping day. Not much else to do except wait for another year to be over. I skipped through a few of them quite fast, but something caught my eye in 1. Their male tribute looked very familiar to me…

I pressed rewind and watched again, listening for his name.

_Emerich_

My eyes narrowed at the screen. I know that name. I know that boy. His brother killed my twin siblings.

I guess I'm going in the games a few years earlier than I thought.

**Marina**

I hate reaping days. Being from 4 and all, you would think I wouldn't really care that much about it. For all you know, I could be a Career.

But I'm not. And these days terrify me.

I have no fear of being reaped, just I feel so bad for the poor kids from the weaker district who do get reaped. It seems like every year there is at least one twelve year old from 10, 11, or 12. And there is always my brother. Even though he is only four, I still feel like at any moment, the escort could pull out his name and steal him away from me. I never imagined that I would be stolen from him…

Great another thing to worry about.

I sigh and pull up my long blonde hair in a pony. Nothing fancy, I'm not going anywhere tonight.

**Rascoe**

I stand there with clenched teeth and readymade fists. I don't bother to hear the name called before I shoot up my hand and yell, "I volunteer," the escort smiles and I can hear a boy next to me breathe a sigh of relief.

As I make my way to the stage, all I can think about is my next strategy to kill Emerich.

**Marina**

Terror doesn't even describe what I feel now.

How could I be so afraid of my own name?

It seems to echo inside my mind, my heart clenches and I feel a sob catch in my throat. But do I let them see this, no. I pull out a smile from who knows where, try to drown out the cries from my brother and make my way to the stage.

"I volunteer!" I hear a voice scream.

Its Whelk. My best friend.

I whirl around to face her. "No." I say authoritivly. "You won't die for me."

She's crying. "You can't leave me!"

I want to tell her to stop, that if she doesn't stop crying I might start sobbing. I give her a weak smile to tell her its okay, and then I march up to the stage.

**District 5 Reaping**

**Bennet**

Reaping day doesn't mean that much to either me or my twin sister, Ellessa. But it sure as heck does to Jeremy. Jeremy is my best friend. His parents were taken by peacekeepers so he's pretty bitter towards the Capitol and just all around bitter and angry on reaping days. But this year he is different. He is kinda going crazy right now because he has this strange notion that he suddenly became physic overnight and now can predict whose going into the arena this year.

And he thinks it's me.

Do I believe him? No.

Should I believe him? Probably.

Today he ran up to me explaining that he had this dream where I was up in a tree somewhere wearing this strange black bandana that he precedes to give to me.

"You have to wear it in the Capitol. It will make them soooooo mad!"

I sort of laugh at him. "You think that a black bandanna will make them mad? How do you even know if I'm the tribute yet?"

"I just know." He reassured, which really wasn't very reassuring. "Just wear it for me okay?"

Sometimes, his mouth gets him into big trouble. Jeremy is a very loud talker, and our city is sorta overpopulated with peacekeepers, who are pretty touchy about who signs their paycheck (AKA. the Capitol).

"What about the Capitol?" one said coming up behind Jeremy.

_Please don't do anything stupid, PLEASE don't do anything stupid!_

"I was just telling my friend that black is a very unflattering color in the Capitol and that when he gets reaped he should wear black all the time."

_You did something stupid._

The Peacekeeper narrowed his eyes at Jeremy and I could see this would not end well. He grabbed Jeremy by the wrist. "Come with my boy."

Jeremy's face instantly went pale and he looked to me for help. Before I could do anything the Peacekeeper was dragging him away. Jeremy's struggle was futilely pathetic.

I bit my lip and hoped that wherever he was taking Jeremy didn't have to do with punishment.

Then I saw him pull out the whip.

**Ellessa**

When I saw Jeremy being lugged away by an armed Peacekeeper, I knew something was up. I see Bennet just standing there staring at this weird looking black bandana numbly.

I run up to him. "What is going on?" I demand.

"Jeremy said something stupid. Peacekeeper got mad. I think I'm going in the Hunger Games, Ellessa."

"You what?"

Bennet goes off on this whole spiel about how Jeremy became physic and how Jeremy got himself arrested. I slap him.

"You seriously believe that?"

"Yes I do!"

"You're crazy." I say and walk off.

If Ben wants to believe his crazy best friend, so be it.

**Bennet**

Turns out, Jeremy was right.

I am going into the arena.

I know I should be terrified right now, but honestly I'm to numb to really feel anything.

Until I hear Ellessa's name.

**Ellessa**

No. No. No. No.

This is not happening. Jeremy can't be right! Bens not going into the arena. Neither am I. I'm just having a dream. A really strange dream.

I pinch myself. Nothing.

_Wake up, wake up!_

Someone pushes me onto the stage and me and Ben are standing there looking for help in the other's eyes.

"Oh, do we have a set of twins this year?" the escort mocks. "I can certainly see the resemblance."

Kill me now.


	2. District 6 12 Reaping

**District 6-12 Reaping**

**District Six Reaping**

**Anton**

Reaping days are no fun. Especially to a person like me whose name is in there more times than I care to mention. I never smile on reaping days, I know everyone in this district unfortunately that means attending all goodbyes. Every year I say goodbye to a friend, never a close friend, but the feeling is the same.

I wake up in a sort of daze on the morning of the reaping. Robotically getting ready and moving out to the square. I feel nothing which is strange to me. I take a seat under a tree and wait for the reaping to begin. I see this girl with a wicked grin across her face and it sends a shiver down my spine. A girl that happy on reaping day can't possibly be up to good. . .

**Anainah**

I like reaping days. It's the one reprieve I get from the depressing flow of everyday life. Today I am especially happy because today is the day my life ends. Well, not exactly today, but it all starts today.

I make my way down to the square with a grin plastered on my face. I'm sure you think I'm absolutely sick but trust me, I'm doing myself a favor. I'll spare you a sob story and just tell you that I deserve to die.

For the sake of saving words, I'll skip ahead.

I am going into the arena.

**Anton**

When my name is called that's when my daze ends. Its as if my eyes are snapped open and here I am, on stage shaking hands with a bright purple girl with green diamonds in her teeth. But as soon as I stare out into the crowd, I am pulled back into my daze, and honestly I would like to stay there for as long as possible. I can't imagine what pain would be going on inside me right now if I wasn't in shock.

**District Seven Reaping**

**Toph**

Bitter-Sweet. With more bitter than sweet. I hate that flavor but every year I eat it on reaping days. My parents pull out a cake. Its not big or fancy, but its enough. I wish they never bought a cake. Its like rubbing salt on a wound.

"Happy Birthday. . ." they continue with the song, but I don't bother to listen.

Yeah, its my birthday. Yeah, it happens to be on reaping day. Sucks to be me, right? We throw a small party every morning because, well, I might not be there to celebrate that night. The cake is alright, its chocolate but that's not what I taste. I taste bitter foam.

After my 'party' is over, I make my way over to the square with my blind sister Hannah. We don't say much on the walk over, she knows how I get on these days. I keep quite and stand in my place waiting for the names to be called.

**Neko (Very weird and hard to write I might add :P ) **

I am a good hearted person. I do not take pleasure in other peoples pain. I try to avoid conflict and unnecessary fights. To a guy like me, the Hunger Games is the opposite of where I want to be. But I guess the spirits have other ideas.

When my name was called, I didn't go into shock. I didn't freak out. I simply calmly made my way onto the stage and stood staring out at the crowd.

**Toph**

When your name is called, you don't feel much at first, then its cold. . . like. . . really cold. Then you realize they only called your last name. Terror fills me because I realize, they called Hannah. . .not me.

I shakily raise my hand, aware that I may be signing my death warrant. "I volunteer."

I don't take no for an answer, I simply walk up on stage in my sisters place. Scared and satisfied at the same time.

"You know. . ." I say to the escort, "Today is my birthday. . ."

She beams at me, "Well then, consider this a gift from the Capitol, she takes off one pair out of seven ear rings and hands them to me. They are big blue sapphires and I can see my face in them.

"If you don't mind, I would like my sister to have these. . .seeing as I might not be coming back. They are very pretty, what use are they to a dead person anyway."

"Of course she may."

I like our escort. She seems different. . . Somehow I don't think anyone else would be willing to give up a pair of expensive sapphires to a blind girl.

**District Eight Reaping**

**Rielle**

I usually wake up to screaming in the kitchen, my brother and his pregnant wife yelling at each other, but today its eerily silent. Well, reaping day does that to people. The house is empty though and I leave it in no hurry to make it out to the square. As I walk out the door I see my best friend, Gabe sitting outside ripping a flower apart. I sit next to him and take what is left of the flower from him.

"Come on, Gabe; what did it ever do to you?"

"Nothing." He said grumpily. "I just have a bad feeling about this year."

"We both know that you're not going anywhere this year." I poke him in the arm. "You're staying right here. Who else would torture all these poor innocent plants?"

He doesn't smile. "You don't get it. I have a _really_ bad feeling about today's reaping."

"You don't think. . ." my eyes go wide and he nods.

"That's exactly what I think."

**Joseph**

I wake up to someone poking me roughly in the side.

"Wake up brother. You know what today is? Today is the day I get to watch you walk up on stage and-" I punch him in the nose.

"Shut up. I'm not going and you know that."

My brother wipes the blood from his nose and laughs at me. "Well, we will see about that." Then he walks out of my room.

He does this every reaping day. Messes with me and makes me think that it's my turn to fight. We pretty much hate each other.

I get ready and make my way out into the square while my brother gets his nose all bandaged up. "Baby" I mouth to him.

**Rielle**

"You can't seriously think that my name is going to be pulled?" I yell at Gabe and throw the flower in his face. "What would make you think that?"

"Calm down. I'm not psychic or anything I just have a hunch."

"Well. We will see." I stomp off to the square and await the names. Gabe doesn't follow me but I can hear him kicking at the cement and cursing.

When the names are read I can hardly believe it. Gabe was right.

I hear sobs in the background and Gabe cursing some more. My eyes widen as I make my way up on stage.

"Deer in headlights are we, sweetie?"

**Joseph**

"Ready to die, big brother?"

I elbow him in the side. Universal sign for shut up.

When my name is called I look to my brother accusingly. He is white faced and pale, mouth agape.

"I didn't know I swear!" he mumbles.

"Whatever."

**District Nine Reaping**

**Bruce (So amazingly fun to write!) **

Reaping days are annoying! They hold nothing of value to me. My name is never called and all it is, is some stupid capitol excuse for taking up my precious time. Time I could be using to do stuff. Important stuff.

Nevertheless, I wake up and meander my way down to the square. As I pass people in the square I mentally pick out the people who I would put in the arena, and whether they would die or not. I wave at a lot of them, and they glare at me. . . They are probably just mad because its reaping day. Everyone loves me!

**Elianna**

Reaping day. Yay. The day everyone fears, well everyone but Bruce. . .that weirdo.

The square is packed, as always. Somehow, Rose, my best friend, finds me and links her arm in mine.

"Why the weird look, Eli?" she chirps.

I shake my head at her. "Just my dad." I sigh, "As always."

"Hey, sorry bout that, I still love you." She makes me laugh a little, but not enough to lighten the mood. "Look, there is Dan! Wait up!" she runs off dragging me limply behind her.

My dad doesn't pay me any attention. He thinks I'm a disgrace. He treats me like I'm not worthy to be his daughter. I've told my mom but she's too ignorant to understand. I've actually tried to run away before, made it all the way to Rose's house before her parents sent me back.

Daniel isn't much help to lighten the mood. He's still pretty depressed about his brother from last year. . .died in last year's games. He hasn't really been the same since. All he does for me is make me feel like it was my brother that died.

**Bruce**

When my name was called I was outraged.

"How dare you!" I screamed at the escort. My name isn't suppose to be called. It doesn't work like that.

"Since we are all friends here I'm sure we have no problem with one of you volunteering for me?" I demand the crowd. They keep silent.

"Get up there!" someone yells at me.

Dejectedly I make my way on stage.

"Just so you all know. . .we are soooo not friends anymore."

"Like we were ever friends." Someone laughs.

**Elianna**

My mind must not be working properly because the only coherent thought that comes to my mind is _My name sounds weird with a Capitol accent. _

The second coherent thought comes at me like a brick. _I'm not suppose to know what that sounds like unless. . ._

Crap. . .

**District Ten Reaping**

**Astell**

I wake up not knowing what day it is. Routinely I grab my basket of things to sell and I walk out of the small house, it's how we make money, selling our chickens eggs door to door. Then I see everyone dressing in reaping cloths.

This was the year I turned twelve. The year my name is finally in the reaping ball, only once but still. Reaping day for the longest time was just another day to me. Until today.

I rush back inside and slam the door closed. Too afraid to go outside without Mania, my sister. She is still asleep. I shake her awake and she nearly slaps me in the face.

"Mania. . ." I whisper.

"Astell, I sleep now." She says insensitively. She wouldn't understand only being eleven.

"Reaping day."

Her eyes snap open and she is sitting up staring at me like I'm stupid, or even crazy. "Astell, do you really think that your name is going to be drawn?" she asks me sarcastically scratching her red hair, "It's in there once! Now stop freaking out and get dressed."

I get dressed and we walk hand in hand out to the square, my heart wouldn't stop beating the entire way. I'm way too small to survive long in the games. I guess I could hide, I'm a fast runner, but I'm too scared to kill anyone.

"Stop thinking about it." Mania says knocking on my head like it was a door. "I know you were thinking about it."

"It's scary." Is all I can manage to say.

**Umber**

Relief. That's all I feel. Last year having to dread today. Last year having to worry about going to die. Last year of being scared. I'm eighteen now, and after today, the Hunger Games will be behind me for good.

I walk out to the square with a huge smile plastered all over my face, a few people give me weird looks but I don't care. All I care about is a life of not caring about how many times my name is in the stupid glass bowl. I see these two small girls that come up to my waist, one blonde and one with funny red hair. They couldn't be more than ten but by the look on the blondes face, this must have been her first year in the reaping. I felt kinda bad for her.

**Astell**

"Astell Pryor," my name bounces around in my head a few times before I register who said it.

I look for Mania and her eyes are just as panicked as I feel.

"I'm sorry," she says.

My legs numbly bring me to the stage where the escort continually comments on how small I am, and how cute my haircut looks. I honestly couldn't care less about how the Capitol will just '_Eat me up'_ in the words of my escort. Frankly, I'm more concerned about some District 1 boy who would actually eat me!

**Umber**

When I see the little blonde girl walk up on stage my heart sinks. I feel bad for the poor sap who has to face the guilt of her death.

"Umber Powel."

Wait. . .that was my name right?

Well then I guess the person who has to face her is me.

**District Eleven Reaping**

**Nikki**

I hate reaping days. I hate them almost as much as the games themselves. Its like putting on a happy face for something you know you will die for. It infuriates me. Without the games, I would still have a twin brother. Loseing a twin is like losing a piece of yourself. And I hate the Capitol for taking that part of me away.

Like everyone in our district I make my way down to the square with a scowl plastered on my usually happy face. This is the second year that my name has been in the reaping bowl and each year I just get more and more infuriated by the show the Capitol makes of us.

**Hackett**

To tell you the truth. Reaping days terrify me. Not just because I could go into the arena, but Asha could. Or both of us. Then who would take care of Thyme. Asha is my girlfriend. Two years and many mistakes ago, we had a baby girl. Completely unintentional. Ever since I have been a completely dedicated father and boyfriend. The thought of either me or Asha going into the arena terrifies me.

I kiss both Asha and Thyme goodbye and make my way early out to the square. I need some air, and some time to think.

**Nikki**

When I hear my friend Amythest's name called I freeze. Shouldn't it be a rule that handicapped people aren't allowed to compete in the games due to the obvious disadvantage. My hand shoots up despite my fear.

"I volunteer!" I scream.

"Then come on up." The escort chimes, I tune her out and make my way to the stage.

Well. . .now that I am in I see no reason not to try and win.

**Hackett**

I feel like someone has punched me in the gut. My name is repeated and I realize that I could win this thing. I could make a much better life for my family.

That is exactly what I intend to do.

**District 12 Reaping**

**Ash**

"Wake up!" my dad screamed at my from across the room. "You better get your name picked today!"

I want to shoot him right now. He's like this every year. He is obsessed with winning the games, and since he can't enter, he makes me take the maximum teasera so that my name would be in more times. Sometimes I wish he could enter, so he could die. Yeah. . . that would be nice. I get up and walk out of the house, ignoring every word my dad screams at me.

**Angus (Such an amazingly entertaining character) **

The square is filled with people, all waiting to hear my voice. Who am I to deny them. I walk up to a group of particularly frazzled fifteen year old girls .

"Hey, girls." They all grimace at me, but I know that's just because of the reaping. On any other day they would be like putty in my hands. I could have any girl I wanted.

"What do you want Angus?"

"Well, I just thought that you should know. . .if you get reaped," I wink at them, "I'll be rooting for you." This comment makes her burst into tears of happiness. I pat her on the back, "It's okay, I have that effect on people."

"Get away from us you creep!" one screams at me.

I back away, "It's okay ladies, I see she needs her space. I will return."

**Ash**

Out in the square, our escort, a particularly young pink haired woman who looks about fifteen but must be at least thirty takes to the stage.

"Ladies first!" she rummages around in the bowl for a few minutes before pulling out a name.

"That name better be Ash Youngblood!" I hear my father scream.

I mentally stab him in my mind, brining a satisfied smile to my face.

"Oh, we must has a psychic in the crowd! Ash Youngblood!"

I hear my dad cheering in the background.

I mentally stab him again, but it does nothing to my mood.

**Angus**

Well, none of the girls I talked to were picked, that's good. I won't have to worry about watching one of them die.

"Angus MacFinch."

I might just have to worry about myself dying.

**AN: FINALY ALL THE REAPINGS ARE UP! Please review! **

**I will be starting on the train ride and them meeting their mentors next. I will be varying the POV a lot so it might get confusing, so PAY ATTENTION. May the odds be ever in your favor!**

**-Gamemaker CooCooBananaBell **


	3. Meeting the Capitol

**AN: Soooo many thanks to all of you who got my message and reviewed! Its not that I felt unloved before, but I feel more loved now ;) Anyways, this chapters is all the girl tributes getting ready for opening ceremonies because, well. . .girls care a little more about what they look like than guys do and honestly, I don't know how to write a guy being styled, it's just too weird for me. **

**ENJOY!**

**Meeting the Capitol**

**Dahlia**

Going into meet my stylist scared me for some reason. It was like I was completely giving my identity to a person I didn't know and it was their job to turn it into something appealing. The whole idea just didn't sit right with me. Meeting my mentor was different, they care about your life. This person, just cares about how much the Capitol likes your outfit.

I take a deep breath and open the door into meet my prep team. The instant their eyes find me they gasp. I think one of them almost fainted. They look stranger than I thought. One has feathers sewn into her arm and around her eyes to make her seem like a bird. A quite ugly bird.

"Well girls," said one picking up a pair of scissors and taking a few test snips at the air, "We have our work cut out for us."

_Am I really that bad? Well, I did spend half of yesterday crying my eyes out. . ._

I gulp and take a seat as they circle me, trying to decide how to transform me into a Capitol worthy girl. I suck in a breath as I feel them snip at my hair.

_There goes my hair, _I thought.

**Lyra**

My prep team loves me. It's almost creepy. They keep rambling on and on about how my hair color is '_To die for'. _The expression hits a bit to close to home for my liking, I would rather live than die for something as stupid as hair color. True to my nature, I shut my mouth and let them do the talking. They can talk all they want, I am just happy to be away from that creep, Emerich. It's like he's trying to kill me before the games even started. As long as he stays away from me at Training I'll be fine. Don't want to get to close to him with a spear.

By the time they let me take a look at myself in the mirror makeup has caked my entire face, my eyebrows are almost nonexistent, and I swear they bejeweled part of my face.

I scream.

"Eep! She likes it."

"Good, now for her chariot outfit!"

I'm starting to think that the actual games themselves, aren't the worst part.

At least District 1 girls always get the prettiest dresses.

**Tasha**

Apparently everyone in the Capitol hates me.

My prep team hates me. My stylist doesn't know what to do with me. My mentor thinks I'm annoying. The escort keeps screaming in my ear.

Honestly, the only person here who hasn't verbalized their disdain for me is the Avox. And she can't talk!

Even as my prep team works at my hair and makeup, I pay no attention to them. My mind is somewhere else. I can't help wondering whether or not my sister was hated by the Capitol this much. Apparently so, they basically killed her.

Maybe they hate me because of my sister. . .

**Marina **

"You have got to be kidding." I say to my reflection. I am wearing a bright orange star fish suit. Complete with all the points of the star. My face is painted orange as well. "You are kidding right?"

My stylist scowls at me. "Don't like it, design something else for your district. I for one think it looks great." Then she stomped out of the room. Her blue hair flowing behind her.

I roll my eyes at my reflection and slip out of the star fish. "Let's see what I can do with you. . ."

About half an hour of scissors and sewing, I have a pretty good looking gown made out of that starfish. "Ha, take that stupid Capitol." I slip the new and improved starfish on and begin the walk out to the chariots.

**Ellessa**

"No."

"No."

"No!"

"But that's all the designs we had!" my stylist complains. "You must like at least one."

My stylist showed me three hideous designs, mostly involving me dressed like some sort of mutation. "Absolutely not! I will not be depicting my district dressed like a dog!"

"You have to go out dressed in something that represents your district." She lowers her voice to a whisper. "District five is so hard to design for."

"You know what. I'll wear that one." I point to the one of a gown with a tail. It's the least humiliating of them all. But it comes paired with pointed ears. I mainly picked it so she would shut up. Those Capitol accents cut right through my head.

My stylist squeals and runs off to get the gown. I slump down in my chair and sigh. I can only hope that it looks fairly good up close and not as horrid as it did on paper. My stylist comes back with the gown and I groan.

It looks worse than it did on paper.

I can only hope that Ben looks as ridiculous as I am.

**Toph**

I am dressed like a bush.

I am dressed like a bush.

Why am I dressed like a bush?

Leaves are plastered all over my body and I have this ridiculous bush hat on. My makeup consists of camouflage smeared across my face and arms. My legs are roots. I am a bush.

I look like a human plant. And I feel like an idiot.

"Do I really have to wear this?" I groan.

"Yes." My stylist shushes me and pushes me out the door. Well I guess I won't be arguing with her anytime soon. "Just, be the bush." she says it dramatically.

"You're crazy…"

**Rielle**

Well…my outfits not too terrible, but it's not too great either. It's a grey sundress. That's it. How that represents District 8 I will never know, but apparently my district is dull and boring.

I can't get that Bennet guy out of my head. After watching the reruns a million times, his face was the only one I remember. I hope that he noticed me in the reruns too. He sure won't notice me in this frock.

I vow to talk to him at least one before I die. Maybe get to know him a little better. I mean, I only have a little longer left to live, might want to make the most of it.

I walk out of the room only to see Joseph, my district partner dressed in an all grey suit.

Well, at least we match.

**Elianna**

My prep team is strange. I would think that all they would want to talk about was them, but no, I get the prep team that has an interest into their tributes life. They won't stop, they keep poking and prodding me about my life in my district. I try to stay away from the topic of my father but they force me into it.

After talking to them for awhile I realize that they actually care about me, it's kind of nice to have someone who cares about you and your life, unlike my dad. I like talking to them, it's like three pet dogs that you tell everything too because no one else is willing to listen. It's comforting.

**Astell**

After being told how adorable I am for the umpteenth time by my prep team, they finally get to work on my makeup. They attach these little whisker type things to my nose and I can only wonder what outfit goes with these. A pink nose, and whiskers. It all makes sense when my stylist comes in with my costume.

Since District 10 is known for livestock, and what else hides in with livestock better than mice. Since I am too small to be anything else, my ingenious designer dressed me up as a mouse. Complete with ears and a tail.

I guess I look kinda cute in my costume. . .

Not really.

I laugh as I think about what my district partner could possibly be dressed as being as big as he is. Maybe a rhino?

**Nikki**

I resent my prep team in all their multicoloredness. They repulse me. Everyone in the Capitol annoys me beyond belief. Especially those too shallow to realize they are cleaning a lamb for slaughter.

I ignore their every word until my stylist walks in. He doesn't say much to me other than , "You wear this." Then he leaves.

My costume isn't too terrible, it's a gown that resembles a bunch of grapes, but not enough to make me look like a giant pile of fruit. I shrug, it couldn't be worse than anything the other districts are wearing.

I walk out the door and see Hackett dresses in a bright apple-red suit. Well, I see a theme of fruit here in the Capitol. . .

**Ash**

I see that my stylist has taken my name to heart, seeing that he basically walked in the room and threw a bag of ashes over my head. As I was trying to cough the ash out of my throat he threw a small black dress at me and walked out of the room.

The dress itself is pretty cute, but covered in ash. . .it just looks like I forgot to take a shower.

"Ewwwwww!" I hear someone screech from across the hall. I run outside to see Angus covered in just as much ash as I am. I giggle and he glares at me.

"Afraid of a little dirt, Angus?" I tease.

"Shut up. . ."


	4. The Mouse and the Fall

**AN: The format for Fanfiction is really weird. It makes it look like I wrote a lot less than I really did. Hmm…Well I promise it's not as short as it looks. Plus it looks short because its mainly dialogue or short paragraphs. But that's just how I write. :) **

**The Mouse and the Fall**

**Dahlia**

"Why are you so pale?" Zach asks me through his peacekeeper helmet.

"I'm not sure," I admit taking my helmet off. "I guess I am a little nervous about meeting the rest of the Capitol.

"Don't worry," he says putting my helmet on for me, "They will love me."

Thanks, Zach. That helped a lot.

**Nikki**

Its tense as we wait for the opening ceremonies. Despite the colorful and absolutely ridiculous outfits, you can feel how nervous everyone is, or maybe it's just me. I try to break the tension by talking to some of the tributes.

The nearest tribute to me is Astell, dressed as a mouse she is undeniably adorable and somewhat silly looking in her costume. She is so small I doubt that she can even see over the top of the chariot.

"Hey," I mumble as I stand next to her. "I'm Nikki."

She looks up at me with big blue eyes, "I know. I'm Astell."

I don't know what to say next. . ._So how do you plan to survive? _That's just stupid.

"I miss my sister. . ." she says in a whisper and hangs her head. Her confession takes me by surprise.

"I miss my brother too." I say, "He was killed in the Games a few years ago. We were twins." Why was I telling her all this? After _Hi my name is. . ._ you don't usually spill you whole life's story on them.

I guess we just have that connection.

**Ellianna**

What were the stylists this year thinking? Everyone looks absolutely ridiculous in their outfits. A bush, a mouse, a light bulb, a jellyfish and even a mutation? Seriously were they all high or something?

I'm just glad I got away with a simple red sundress. Although the red in the dress eerily reminds me of blood. . .

No I will not be put into the arena today.

Bruce is talking to the horses. I strain me ears to listen, desperate to get my mind off of blood.

"They all think I'm crazy!" he mumbles to the horse. "But I'm not crazy, I just want to go home. I'm scared."

I laugh. "Too used to life at home?" He sticks his tongue out at me in a pathetic attempt at an insult. "You're an idiot."

**Ash**

Really, district twelve always has the worst outfits. Other than district eight, we have the most boring outfits. Not to mention the most ugly.

Well, not the most, I mean. . .district three is a light bulb.

Does the Capitol have a personal vendetta against district twelve or something?

Of course they do, otherwise we wouldn't have the Hunger Games.

**Marina**

"Aw, come on!" Rascoe groans at my costume. "You're not dressed as a fish!"

Rascoe is wearing a strange combination of pink and blue fabric with weird little dangly things hanging off of a weird oversized headpiece.

"Oh, I get it! You're a jellyfish!" I say poking the headpiece.

"Yeah, I know. Why aren't you dressed all weird?"

"I was a starfish. . ."

"Past tense. . ." he questions.

I shrug. "I modified it."

**Bennet**

I take one look at Ellessa and laugh. She's shooting daggers at me but I don't care. Her outfit is priceless.

"Love the tail," I say through a laugh.

"If it weren't a rule not to hurt tributes before a game, you would have a black eye right now." She threatens through clenched teeth.

"I'm just glad I got to see _this _before I die!"

I guess I got lucky. All my stylist gave me was a lab coat like suit. Well, I assume Ellessa is suppose to be my experiment. . .

**Rielle**

I see him. Bennet. Standing next to his sister dresses as what appears to be a mad scientist. Weird.

I make my way over to him. My heart is pounding.

"Hi." I say. I hope my voice doesn't sound shaky, because I feel like I'm shaking.

"Whose she?" his sister accuses pointing at me.

"She's. . .uh,"

My heart sinks. He didn't notice me in the reruns.

"I'm Rielle." I say for him and hold out my hand for Ellessa. She ignores it.

"Sorry, I didn't pay any attention to the reruns." He says. Ellesssa rolls her eyes and walks away. "I'm Bennet, by the way."

"I know. I did pay attention." I smile at him. He smiles back.

"So, what are you suppose to be dressed as?" he asks eyeing my grey frock.

"Not sure. Apparently my district is dull."

"And what district would that be?"

"Eight."

He stops for a second. And his eyes go wide.

"What?" I ask.

He gulps, "Nothing," I can tell he is lying. "It's just, a tribute from that district killed my brother a few years ago."

Great, there go my chances. . .

"Oh. . .I'm sorry."

There is an awkward silence between us for a while, then he speaks.

"I guess we better get ready. Sounds like we might be heading out soon." He says.

"Yeah," I nod and walk off to my chariot in utter defeat.

**Lyra**

District 1 is the first chariot to go. Emerich is standing right next to me, with that menacing smile and all those scars, I'm scared out of my mind. I take a deep breath and the chariot rolls forward.

The Capitol lights are blinding and the cheers are deafening. Emerich loves the crowd, but I'm blinded by it. I grab hold to the front of the chariot so I don't fall off, pull on a fake smile and soak in the Capitol in all its glory.

I try to enjoy it all but the only thing I can think of is _Don't get to close to Emerich. Don't fall off. Don't get to close to Emerich. Don't fall off. . . _

**Tasha**

The opening ceremonies are almost as bad as the reaping in my eyes. Being dresses as a light bulb is pretty humiliating. But its not the worst. At least I'm not dressed as a bush like seven. Or like a jellyfish. Or like a mouse.

Well, my point is, it could be worse. I could be dressed like my sister. . .

**Umber**

I feel bad for Astell. Here I am towering over her and she can't even see over the chariot.

"Hey, Astell." I say over the din of the crowd.

"Yep?" she basically screams back at me.

"Get on my back."

"Huh?"

"Just do it, you'll be able to see better."

"Okay, don't let me fall off, okay?"

"No worries."

I pick her up and put her on my shoulders like I'm giving her a piggy back ride. At first she clings to my head so she won't fall off, but after a few minutes of being in the air she lets go and starts waving at the crowd. I am careful not to let go of her feet.

"This is fun! They love us!" she says. I can see on the monitors that she spread her arms out like she's flying.

**Anton**

"Looks like district ten is having some fun." I say after watching Astell on the monitors. I have been trying to start a conversation with my district partner, who seems intent on not talking the whole time she's been here. She just stares straight ahead not saying a word. Its freaking me out.

"Wish we could have some fun like that." I sulk and turn my back on her to begin waving at the crowd. But they don't care about little district six. All they care about is Astell the flying mouse.

**Astell**

The wind in my face, and the world below my feet. Flying feels so exhilarating. I can feel the Capitol draw in a breath, tensing up, ready to catch me if I fall. I love it!

I can feel the wind pick up and I am slightly pushed off of Umber shoulders, not enough to knock me off, just enough to give me a small panic attack. I regain my balance and composure.

Then the chariot hits a rock.

The small bump is just enough to send me flying backwards and out of Umbers grasp. The Capitol gasps and I think I screamed. I expect the ground to hit first, or to feel horse hooves, but neither occur. Instead I find myself in the boy from eleven, Hackett's, arms. He caught me.

**Hackett**

That was close. A bit too close.

I'm glad I caught her. Astell reminds me too much of my own daughter.

"You okay?" I ask setting her down in our own chariot.

"Yea. . .fine." she says through a shaking voice. "Thanks."

She curls up into a small ball at our feet and stays there the entire ride. Nikki tries to talk to her, but Astell is in a deep state of shock.

**Emerich**

Dang that Hackett. He should have let that girl fall. She is an unnecessary target. A minor annoyance better left dead. I run the moment over in my head, only I replace Hackett with myself, and let the girl fall to her doom.

She looks better between horse hooves anyway.


	5. How to Make or Break an Alliance

**AN: Training and making friends. Tribute social time! Yay! Read and Review please!**

**How to Make or Break a Potential Alliance**

**Dahlia**

No one sees training as actual training. Only a breeding ground for alliances.

Personally, I don't need any help from the other Careers. I am perfectly fine hiding up in some tree somewhere picking others off one by one.

The others, who I assume to be Careers, make it a point to avoid me. That's okay. I can take it. I don't need any help.

Like I said, I can just pick you off while hiding in some tree.

**Marina**

Two girls catch my eye. Astell and Nikki. They seem to be attached to each other because they keep going to the same station together. Eventually I meet up with them at knot tying, even though I know how to tie a pretty decent knot.

"Hey," I say. They look up at me then back at their knots. Like I'm not even there. "I'm Marina."

"Hi," Nikki says.

"You are Nikki right?"

"Yep." She says. All right, I can handle one word answers.

"So-" I start but Astell cuts me off.

Not looking up from her knots she says, "You want to ally with us?"

"Well, yea." I say.

"Too bad." Nikki says.

"Huh?"

"None of us are in an alliance with anyone here," Nikki explains, "I'm not even in alliance with Astell."

"But you. . ."

"It looks like it, huh?" Astell says still not looking up.

"Why don't you try asking one of those Careers, I'm sure they would love to have you." Nikki says. Both of them leave their knots and go to the edible plant station.

Well that conversation was over quick.

I sigh and walk off towards where Zach is messing around with some nets.

**Nikki**

"Remind me again why we said no to Marina. She liked us." I ask Astell. It was her idea not to let in Marina.

"I just don't like her. She just. . ." she pauses. "I don't like her."

I know it's more than just that, but I let it go as we continue to learn about the edibility of plants.

**Lyra**

"You are Lyra, right?" Emerich comes up from behind me making me miss my shot by a foot and making me jump.

I nod. My heart pounding.

"Are you thinking about allying with any of the Careers?"

I shake my head. My heart pounding harder.

"You should. I saw you at the knife station. Your pretty handy with a blade." His voice has a gravely menace to it that reminds me of a fingernail on chalkboard. He comes up closer behind me. "If I were you I would seriously consider it." He takes a pluck at my bow string sending it ringing in my ears. I gulp and nod.

"Good."

**Zach**

Emerich comes up to me with a smile on his face.

"Well?" I ask.

"We got her." He says, referring to recruiting Lyra into our Career pack.

"Nice," I say holding my hand out for a high five. He just stares at it. I lower my hand.

"What about Marina?" Emerich asks.

I nod. "Definitely."

I see Marina sulking over towards us.

"Hey," she says picking up a net. "So, who you planning to ally with?" she asks cutting the net into individual ropes.

"Well, Careers. Duh." I say.

She starts tying the ropes into a noose.

Emerich takes the noose from her, "You should consider joining us." He looks the noose around and slips it around her neck loosely. "Your pretty handy with that rope."

She slips it off her neck in one move, "Yeah. I know. Living in Four you learn how to handle nets in more ways than one."

"Nice." I said staring at my net wondering how she turned hers into a noose so easily.

**Bennet**

I can't get Rielle out of my head. Her auburn hair and those little freckles on her nose that are just absolutely adorable-what am I saying? The Hunger Games is no place to fall in love. Especially with a girl from the district that killed your older brother.

Still she's really sweet. . .shut up Bennet.

I follow Ellessa around during Training, eyeing Rielle constantly. I don't really pay much attention to Ellessa or any of the stations. Rielle is the only thing on my mind.

Rielle. . .what a pretty name. . .shut up Bennet, you're not allowed to like her.

She comes to our station, big grey eyes staring at me and smiling. . .SHUT UP BENNET!

"Hi, Bennet." She says picking up a knife and taking a practice throw.

"Hi." I mutter and fumble with the knife. Being around her makes me nervous.

Ellessa rolls her eyes, "Just say you like her already so we can move on." She sighs and launches the knife across the room, "You've been staring at her all training, you think I didn't notice?"

Rielle is looking at me with an open mouth. "Really?" she asks.

I nod, I can feel my face get red. I look up and see her blushing too.

"I'll leave you too alone." Ellessa says and leaves.

Rielle tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear and holds her hands behind her back. "You like me?" she asks looking down. "Because, I kinda. . .well. . ."

My heart skips a beat. She likes me too!

"Really!" I say a bit too loud. She shushes me with a giggle.

"Well, ya." She mumbles. "I was afraid you didn't like me, so I didn't say anything."

My happiness is short lived when I'm pulled back to reality. The reality where only one of us can survive.

"This won't work." I say dejectedly tossing the knife aside. "We won't work."

She stops, "Why not?"

I gesture around me, "This! The Hunger Games."

"Oh." She says. After a pause she continues. "We can make it last,"

I smile, "I would like that."

She smiles back and we make our way hand in hand to the camouflages station where she paints me bright purple and I paint her bright blue. When you only have a few days at a relationship, you better make it last.

**Ash**

Me and Elianna are at the close combat station. We have been going to the same stations together; I guess both of use having daddy issues we just mesh. The supervisor is currently having us spar each other. I'm losing.

"So, are you planning on making any alliances?" I ask attempting to make small talk.

She takes a wide swing at me but I dodge it. "I guess. Maybe with-" she is cut short when Angus walks up. "Anyone but him. . ."

We stop our battle for a moment.

"Ladies, you're doing it all wrong!" he grumbles positioning Elianna like a mannequin into a battle stance he finds right. The stance is exactly what the supervisor said it shouldn't look like. "There, like that."

"No, Angus. I'm pretty sure I had it right." She says standing normally.

"Fine, if you want to lose because of some stupid mistake, fine. Who am I to stop you?" he walks away.

Me and Elianna make eye contact, then look at Angus giving Lyra advice on how to hold a bow sideways. We look at each other again and burst out laughing.

"He won't last long," I say.

"Won't make it past the cornucopia." Elianna says.

"Nah, he can make it two days tops. . ." I offer.

"Wanna bet?"

"You're on."

What we were betting for I am not sure, considering that neither of us would be able to pay the other if one was dead. I didn't mention anything though. It would ruin the moment.

**Toph**

I'm with Umber, Neko, Bruce, Anton, and Andrew at the fire station. Apparently a lot of us don't know how to make fire.

Neko figured it out an hour ago and now he's helping the rest of us figure it out. I guess being as 'one with nature' as he is you pick up on things like that quite fast.

"Do it for me!" complains Bruce to Neko. "I don't care, just do it for me!" It's the third time he's burned himself with the flint without actually starting a fire. I am very tempted to kill him now since he is annoying us all to pieces.

Anton and Andrew pretty much keep to themselves, both being fellow talkers, they are carrying on two different conversations without a care as to what the other was saying.

I tuned them out half an hour ago.

That leaves Umber. He's a pretty nice guy, fun to talk to.

"So, are you going to ally with anyone?" I ask.

"No. Not really. I'm better alone."

"What about Astell?" I ask. "You seemed like friends."

He shakes his head. "She's with Nikki. Honestly, she scares me."

I laugh. "Really? A big guy like you afraid of her?"

He nods. "It's like an elephant mouse thing. I don't want to hurt her on accident." He sighs, "So what about you? Any alliances?"

I think about it. "Maybe Neko. But other than that, I'm better on my own."

**Tasha**

The Careers are running around recruiting everyone, and I can't help but feel a little sad that they haven't come to me. I've stayed at the same station this whole time, sword fighting. I have a feeling there will be plenty of swords in the arena and I don't want to be left out. Joseph, Hackett and Rascoe are here too. I see Emerich out of the corner of my eye. Finally they have come to recruit me!

No, he walks right past me and up to the boys. He invites all of them to the Career pack. After they all agree he turns to me.

"Tasha, is it?"

I nod.

"If you can survive the bloodbath, consider yourself one of us."

I nod excitedly, "Of course!"

Finally, something I can do around here!

**Rascoe**

The only reason I said yes to Emerich, is so I can get close to him. If I can get close to him, I can kill him.

And that is all I want out of these games. To avenge my brother.

**Emerich**

Does Rascoe really think that I don't recognize him? My brother killed his brother. And I plan to keep the family legacy going. Consider yourself dead Rascoe, because on first night you're gone.


	6. Interviews Part 1

**AN: Thank you all for the amazingly sweet reviews! They mean so much to me. ( I know that sounds cliché but it's true.) So, now its time for the interviews, and then I get to throw your tributes into the arena and mess with their lives. :) Whose excited? I know I am! Every tribute gets a POV in the interviews so I'm doing it in parts since it's so long. It goes in order of the districts girl first then boy, just like the normal interviews! Sorry it took me so long to get this one up. I got a Wattpad and got distracted. But now it's up so you all can be happy again! Yay! **

**ENJOY!**

**Interviews Districts 1-4**

**Lyra**

To say I wasn't nervous would be a big fat lie. I was sweating out of my dress. My dark, long dress designed to make me seem mysterious. My makeup is very dark and smoky. Personally I think I look like a vampire instead of a girl with a lot of secrets.

The anthem plays and I take my seat next to Caesar, my palms sweating unbelievably badly. I hope no one notices.

"So, Lyra," Caesar starts, "Loved your chariot outfit. What were your thoughts on it?"

I take a moment to think about the question, pretending it means more to me than it really does. "Well, it wasn't too bad. I'm not a fan of sparkles."

"Not a typical district one girl, huh. Obviously you look much better in black than you do in pink." I smile slightly as the crowd laughs.

"Yeah. I'm definitely not typical."

"Lyra, what is your opinion of the Capitol so far?"

"To much like home. I was hoping for something new. Something that I don't see every day in one." This comment gets the crowd riled up.

"So you are saying that the Capitol is to plain?"

"No. Just nothing new."

I'm proud of my work so far. Not reveling to much information, not reveling too little.

A buzzer sounds and I take my seat beside the rest of the tributes.

**Emerich**

My stylist knows me well. A black suit with tears in it at random places make me the most fearsome tribute in the room.

Caesar looks legitimately scared of me for a second but he quickly regains his composure.

"Emerich, is it? What is life like in the Capitol compared to the districts?"

"Well, at the districts all we do is train. At the Capitol, you still train, but you get to wear funny costumes too." People laugh, but it's not true laughter. Its laughter because they fear what I would do if they don't laugh. Good.

"What is your reaction to the Hunger Games?"

I smile. I was hoping he would ask this question. "It just gives me a chance to do something I'm good at. Kill." Dead silence, then a cheer shoots out through the crowd, a roaring cheer that takes up the rest of my minutes. That's okay. I've said all I need to here.

**Dahlia**

My interview gown was simple and straightforward. A simple white dress that flared out at the bottom. Simple and straightforward. Like me.

Cesar starts out with easy questions.

"What is your motivation to win?" he asks. "You must have one."

"My sister, Leona. She's my life." I answer looking down. "I just really want to win, maker her life better. She's mentally handicapped."

"Was she the one clapping at the reaping? She was darling!"

I nod. "Yea, that was her." I smile at the memory. "Do you think that the Capitol has medicine that could cure a condition of hers?"

"Absolutely." Cesar puts his hand on my back comfortingly. "All you have to do is win."

I smile. "Thanks."

My buzzer goes off. I take my seat with a tear in my eye.

**Zach**

My silver suit sparkles against the Capitol lights as I make my way over to Cesar.

"Before you say it, of course I'm going to win." I say taking my seat.

"Cocky are we?" Cesar asks raising an eyebrow.

"Not, cocky. Just real good."

"Well. We will see about that in the arena." He says. "Love your suit. Your stylist knows taste."

"I know right. It makes me stand out. Not that I don't already."

"So, a guy like you must have left a trail of hearts back at home, am I right?"

"Well, there is Gigi, but she hates me right now. She didn't want me to volunteer." I confess.

"Why not? Fame, fortune!" Cesar beams.

"Her brother died in it. She doesn't want to lose me. I mean, who would want to lose this." I gesture to myself. The crowd goes wild. I can see Gigi in two rolling her eyes at me.

The buzzer goes off and I take my seat.

**Tasha**

I take my seat while blowing kisses towards the capitol. My glowing blue dress makes an impression on them I'm sure of it.

"It's so great to be here. I love the Capitol!" I gush. It's so unlike me to be this friendly but I try and make it work.

"Love your dress. District threes lights sure are dazzling." Cesar comments.

"Not as dazzling as here at the Capitol. Everything here is so much brighter and beautiful." My angle. Turn everything around to the Capitol. Make them think I'm obsessed with them.

"Oh, you're too sweet!"

"Well, I learned from you."

Who's Cesar to deny a compliment?

Hand to his heart he says, "Well, thank you! It's great to learn that I have fans as great as you."

"Pleasure is all mine."

My interview continues in this style. Me gushing about how amazing the Capitol is, and Cesar eating my compliments up like a starving cat.

By the time my buzzer has gone off, the Capitol is putty in my hands.

**Andrew**

As I take my seat I can't help but marvel at the technology. The cameras the lights, everything.

It's all so high tech that I can barely concentrate on the questions that Cesar is asking me.

Before I know it, my three minutes are up and I haven't answered a single question without some nerd talk. That's okay, though. I am a nerd.

**Marina**

As I take my seat next to Cesar in my aqua sundress. He smiles at me but I'm too scared to smile back.

"Marina, what a suiting name for your District. Very pretty."

I nod. "Yep,"

"Marina, can you tell me more about your experiences in the Capitol?"

"Well, I love the food. It's amazing." I stutter out even though I'm not nervous in the least. It's all a part of the role I'm playing. The scared little girl from four.

"Marina, we saw the stunt at the reaping, with your friend. How did it feel to have someone who cares enough to die for you?"

Cesar, you struck a nerve there.

I lower my head and say "Honestly, it's nice to have someone willing to die for you, but it means nothing unless you won't do the same. I wasn't going to let her die for me."

"So do you plan to win? To make it home so she didn't volunteer in vain."

"I'll do whatever it takes." I say lifting my head.

"Well, I hope it all works out." He says patting me on the back.

"Can I say something to my friends back in four?" I ask.

"By all means."

I turn straight to the camera. I try to find my friends in it, I know they are watching. I know they will hear me. "Welk," I start. "Don't cry for me. Please." I feel tears coming and I don't hold them back. "If I don't win, don't dwell on my death. But think about how lucky I am. I mean, I got to go to the Capitol." I try to lighten the mood, "And your still stuck in four." I wasn't trying to brag, I said it because I knew it would make her laugh.

My buzzer goes off and I say goodbye to the camera. Tears still falling from my eyes.

**Rascoe**

After an act like Marina it's hard to follow, but I will try.

"Hello Rascoe!" Cesar beams.

"Hello Cesar."

"Strong boy like you, no problem volunteering. You probably think you have this in the bag because of your strength?"

"Actually, I'm not all brawn. I'm smart to. I can think my way out of a situation."

"Oh. We have a scholar in the Games this year. Won't that be interesting?"

"I plan to make them interesting, Cesar." I say. It has a hidden meaning though. I plan to turn on Emerich. That ought to be a big enough surprise. . .

"Can't wait to see you try." Well isn't that a pleasant thought, Cesar can't wait to watch me die. . .I mean try.


	7. Interviews Part 2

**AN: ACK I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER! School started and I got a Wattpad that I spend way to much time on, then I got into an anime series and I almost forgot about this! I wrote this fast since I wanted to get it up the same day I wrote it so I'm sorry if it seems rushed!**

**Interview 5-8**

**Ellessa **

I strut over to my seat next to Cesar in my flaming red strapless dress, my five inch heels clicking against the stage as I did so.

"Hello Ellessa. The second half of our twin-team!"

I stop him, "I am never second in anything Cesar." I hold up one finger to the crowd to show how I always win.

I saw Bennet roll his eyes at me.

"Confident, that's a very good quality in the arena."

"Well, when you are the best how can you afford to be anything else?" I spur on.

"How did the oh-so-amazing Ellessa feel about going into the arena against her twin?"

That stopped me. I looked down, then looked at Bennet.

"Honestly, I would have fainted. But I knew that I could do it. I could win."

"What about Bennet."

I could feel Ben's eyes boring into me. I shut my eyes trying to ward off the lights that suddenly became too hot. This was the topic I wanted to avoid. "To tell you the truth, that scares me more than anything." I turn to Ben. "I love you Ben, and I don't want to be the one to come home and tell mom how you died, but I don't want to die either."

It is silent for a moment. The crowd takes in the fact that I basically just sold out my brother to the Careers.

"Ben, I promise, I won't let anything hurt you as long as I am alive."

"What if it comes down to the two of you? Then what," Cesar goads.

I shut my eyes in anger, trying to hold the burning fury inside and away from the Capitol. But no. . .Thats not like me.

"You know what Cesar?" I burst, "You should stop prying into people's personal life so much, because you don't know how crappy they feel right now!" I think I spoke for all of us.

Leaving a dumb founded Cesar on stage I took my seat.

**Bennet **

"Well Bennet, how do you explain that explosion?"

"I agree with her."

"What?"

"Stop probing so much and get to know the person before you start tugging at their heart strings." I'm sure our outburst would probably not be good for us later in the arena but right now, I don't care.

"At least you agree with me that that was uncalled for right?"

Behind him I see Ellessa flip him off. I smile inwardly.

"No. I don't."

Cesar pauses for a moment then his eyes catch Rielle who is smiling at me with tears in her eyes.

"Whats with the smile, dear?" he asks her. She turns her head away from him and me.

"Leave her alone!" I demand moving so that I blocked his view of Rielle. "It's not her turn to be antagonized yet."

Cesar raises his eyebrow at me. "Hmmm. What do we have here."

I blush blood red.

"A crush have we? How sweet!"

The crowd gives an _awwww. _I can't help but think that we are doomed.

Silently I turn and take my seat.

**Alainah**

My dress was dark and long sleeved colored crimson. I looked scary, but no one should fear me, I have only come to hurt myself.

"Well, you certainly make a dramatic statement," Cesar begins. My face stays blank. "Why do you want to win the games?"

It's a basic question, one he has asked many times. "I don't." I say plainly. His eyes go wide.

"Well, of course you do. . .right?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Nope." Its silent for a minute, I let everyone think about what that means.

Though no buzzer goes off I walk back to my seat. I'm sure Cesar doesn't mind my time getting cut short.

**Anton**

"What with her?" I ask taking my seat next to Cesar.

"Who knows?" He shrugs, "Well, Anton, do you have any talents we should know about?"

"I can fit my whole fist in my mouth! Wanna see," I start to shove my hand down my throat when Cesar stops me.

"No, a talent that can help you in the arena!"

I think on this for a moment. "No." _Lie_

"Any survival skills whatsoever?"

"No." _Lie_

"Any methods of defense or offense?"

"No." _Big Fat Lie. _

Its silent for the duration of my three minutes seeing as we both ran out of things to say. Cesar stares at me with an almost sympathetic stare. I smile back childishly.

**Toph**

"The birthday girl!" Cesar says and I smile at him.

"Yep," I say, "It was my birthday three days ago. . .on the reaping."

"Why did you give up the escorts earrings? They were so bright and beautiful. I'm sure if you win you would want them back as a momento right?"

_Actually, if I win I wouldn't want anything to remember this by. _

"I think my sister would have liked them more than I would have."

"Is that who you volunteered for?"

"Yes." I was close to tears at this point. "She's my life."

**Neko**

I wave the crowd to stop cheering for me once I take my seat.

"Before you say anything Cesar, I have something to say."

"By all means."

I turn to the camera. "Violence is not the only way. I plan to win this thing the right way, the honest way."

"Good luck with that." Cesar mocks.

I spin around on him, "Never doubt the power of love."

"A bit cheesy don't ya think?"

"Stop poking fun!" I scream at him. "How dare you disrespect my ways!"

I see a security guard from the corner of my eye. They think I could possibly get violent. I admit, I am passionate about my beliefs, but not so much as to get violent over them. I take my seat in defeat.

"I think you better sit down now, Neko." Cesar glares at me. His voice holds a grim promise. A promise that frightens me.

**Rielle**

Tears are coming from my eyes. I can only hope that Cesar doesn't bring Bennet into this like he brought up myself. My hope was short lived.

"So, tell about Bennet."

I sigh wiping a tear from my cheek. "It's pretty simple actually." I turn to look at Bennet. "It's too soon to call it love, but it sure feels that way. . ."

A sigh from the crowd. A sigh promising imminent doom to one or both of us. I stifle a sob.

"You are a hopeless romantic, aren't you!" Cesar beams.

"More hopeless than romantic right now. . ." I wispher.

Tears are burning past my eyes right now, all I want to do is get these minutes over with. But I can't do that. That would be letting them win.

"Rielle, why do you want to get home?"

"I just want to see my family again. . ." tears are falling freely at this point. I feel Cesar's hand on my shoulder.

"Take a seat, Rielle." I nod and go back to my seat sobbing.

Bennet comes to comfort me, but right now, I want to be left alone.

I don't tell him that of course.

**Joseph**

I take my seat with not so much as a smile. I couldn't care less what Cesar was saying. All I wanted to do was punch my brother square in the nose for being right. I could see him laughing at home right now.

"Joseph! Any family you want to get back to?"

"No." at least I'm honest.

"Any friends?"

"Non in particular."

"Any reason to go home at all?"

"To kill my brother. . ."

"Save the killing for the Games," Cesar jokes off, but I'm not laughing.

"I'm serious."

**Elianna **

"So Elianna, tell me about your family."

I scowl as I take my seat next to Cesar. I didn't really want to talk about this subject, but if Cesar must probe I understand. It is his job anyway.

I look at the ground a moment. Then look at the camera.

"I have an amazing family. They are always there for me and understand me. . .They are my best friends." I gulp. "Especially my dad."

I can hear Ash give a slight gasp. She knows that's not true.

I continue with my interview, saying things that I don't mean about my family. They don't know that everything I'm saying is a lie.

And I intend to keep in that way.

**Bruce**

I refuse to admit that I cried the entire time during the interview. When it was my turn to go up, all I could answer his questions with was 'I REAAAAAALLLY wanna go home' paired with a sob.

To spare myself further embarrassment I will say no more.

**Astell**

After following as pitiful an act as Bruce, I'm pretty sure the crowd was ready for me. I bounced my way over to the seat with a smile on my face. My blue polka dotted dress flouncing as I did so.

"Well don't you just look adorable?" Cesar said and I smiled an innocent smile and shrugged like it was normal to be the cutest thing ever.

"I try." I say. The Capitol gives an 'Awww' and Cesar continues.

"Well, the Capitol has been talking about that fall at the opening ceremonies, care to tell us more."

My eyes go wide for a second at the memory but I quickly recover. "I'll admit, I was scared for my life. I'm just so thankful to Hackett for catching me." I signal over to where Hackett is sitting. "Without him, I wouldn't be here right now." This earns Hackett a round of applause.

I see Umber with his face in his hands. No doubt he feels guilty.

"So, you're alright now. No injuries?"

"I'm right as rain." I say.

"Well that nice."

The interview continues with me being as unthreatening as I possibly could be. Don't want them thinking that I could go and kill anyone now do I.

When the buzzer goes off I'm confident that I have won over the Capitol.

**Umber **

I take my seat with a smile.

"So, Umber, can you tell us more about Astell's fall?" Of course that is the first thing Cesar asks.

"It was a complete accident. Astell couldn't see over the chariot so I lifter her onto my shoulders. The chariot hit a rock and bumped her out of my hands. I feel terrible." I say honestly.

"Well it's a good thing no one got hurt."

I nod. "Yeah. I just feel terrible about this whole thing."

"Well the past is behind us now. And the future holds the games, so you better get your head in the game."

I smile, "I am so in the game."

The interview continues with me being smiley, happy, and completely confident that I can win the game. I hope I am as confident as I sound. . .

**Nikki**

It would be a lie to say that I wasn't scared for my life as I took my seat. I was shaking and sweating and simply scared out of my mind. It was like Cesar was a tribute and I was walking to my death.

"Hello, Nikki."

"H-hi Cesar." I stutter out.

I look to Astell for support, she smiles at me and gives me a small thumbs up. I gulp and turn back to face Cesar.

"It's great to be here." The words are like acid in my throat, nothing about the Capitol is great, but if that's what it takes to win, I'll lie my butt off.

Cesar puts his hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "Don't be scared," I stare at his hand as if it were a deadly spider. "I don't bite."

I wipe his hand off my shoulder, "It's not you I'm scared of."

**Hackett**

"There he is, the hero himself!" Cesar gestures to me and the Capitol give a roaring applause.

"Thank you!" I say.

"Without your lucky timing, we might not have Astell tonight." He beams.

"Really, she reminded me too much of my daughter to let her fall." I say honestly.

Cesar's eyes go wide. "You have a daughter?"

"Yep. " I say.

"But. . ."

I nod, "Yeah . . . She's the reason I'm going to make it home." I don't have to explain the story. Cesar knows.

He lets out a low whistle, "Well then, we have some competition."

**Ash**

My dress is pitch black. My eyes are almost clouded with black eye shadow and I almost look like I am wearing a mask. Cesar looks frightened.

"Very, eerie outfit." He stumbles out.

I nod.

"So, are you having fun in the Capitol?"

I nod.

"Met any new friends or alliances?"

I shake my head.

"Anything you want to say?"

I nod and stand up.

"Go die, dad." Not very menacing but I get my message across.

Cesar has had a traumatic day with all of the scary tributes that want to seriously voice their opinions. I cut him one last break from all this and take my seat early.

**Angus**

Smiling broadly I take my seat and wait for the Capitol applause to die down.

"I know you all love me, but please, save that for the arena."

"Over confidence is a bad thing."

"No, you need to be confident in yourself to win. I mean, I taught all these tributes stuff in training and I'm sure they all gained quite a bit of confidence from that. . ." I talked on quite a bit more on how amazing I am. I mean, they, love me, why not tell them what they want to know?

"And then, when I was three I"

"Shut up and sit down. Get off the stage you annoy me too much." Cesar said.

"But you all love me so much! You can't handle so much love, I understand."

I take my seat and wink at Cesar. He loves me. He just doesn't want to admit it.


	8. Let The Games Begin

**AN: Sorry guys, it has to be done! DEATH TO EIGHT OF YOUR TRIBUTES! Plus a surprise death (and a very important one I might add. That death begins the basis of the entire rest of the games. So feel important.) Again, it's nothing personal, it's just what is necessary for the story. And I have a pretty kick butt story planned out. . .**

**ENJOY!**

**P.S I like using Dahlia as my sanity in this story. I think she will start off every chapter. :)**

**The Most Important Death **

**Dahlia**

As my platform rose up I was contemplating the need of a giant oversized backpack as an addition to our hunger-gamming-garb. But now I know why. It's a parachute.

The arena. It was a waterfall with the Cornucopia at the bottom. We were all positioned at the top of the massive waterfall all staring around in confusion. I could see some tributes taking positions ready to run and yank their chute ready to take to the weapons at the bottom.

Bruce, I'm not sure what he was doing. I think he was crying.

Suddenly the gong sounds and I wonder how on earth I am to survive a drop off a waterfall.

A mass of tributes all take a flying leap off of the waterfall and what am I left to do but watch them. I take off in the opposite direction. There are better, smarter ways to use a parachute in these games.

**Anton**

I have been watching Dahlia in training, and she is very smart with traps. I think I shall follow her to pick up on a few things.

Wait, why is she running the other way?

Oh, well. Must follow her.

**Alianah**

When I jump, I leave my pack behind. And I don't regret it.

**Marina**

Angus is an idiot. That boy deserves to die of stupidity.

I can't help but laugh at him as I watch him left on his platform screaming at us. "NO YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG."

I almost die of laughter when I see him get tangled in his parachute and fall to his doom down a waterfall. But he's not the only one who is having problems with his chute.

Bruce takes off his pack entirely and throws it down the falls in anger, but his foot gets caught on it and he follows Angus down.

The landing is quick and the bloodbath has already started by the time I get to the bottom. The Cornucopia is placed in the middle of the falls so everyone is soaked in mist and the rocks we stand on are slipping. I can see Andrew is already dead, Emerich is standing over him licking a bloody knife. Emerich nods at me and I take to the weapon pile after throwing off my chute.

The boy from 8, Joseph, comes up from behind me with a knife and I whirl around on him with a random weapon I picked up. It was a very long spear.

Luck . . .why must you hate me.

He smirks at me and starts slicing away at my chest, but he misses and barley nicks my shoulder. I take a wild swing with my spear and whack him over the head with the blunt side, sending him sprawling into a slippery rock. I ignore him and continue to raid the pile.

A few minutes later I hear his cannon, but it wasn't me that killed him.

**Zach**

Landing is a little rough but I am the first to the mass of weapons and packs. I grab a serrated edge knife and my eyes catch a mace. That must be mine. The rocks are slippery and make it hard to cover ground very fast but I see Astell making quick work out of it and sprinting across the surface and disappear in the woods adjacent to the falls. I don't bother to follow her. She's too small to be a threat.

Marina is temporarily distracted by the girl and I have to slap her on the back to get her to come back.

"Focus. Your one of us. Not one of them."

She nods at me and gets back to searching the pile for useful things.

Me, I take out the first girl that lands within feet of me. That girl from twelve. . .I forgot her name. Ash, that was it. The instant she comes within range of me still landing, I swing my mace at her and take out her parachute. I'm not sure how the laws of physics explain this, but the strings of her chute were sent flying in the opposite direction and they took her with it, brining her within killing range of Emerich.

"I hate you dad." She said before Emerich slit her throat.

That's a sight I will never be able to rid from my brain. A sight that will haunt me.

**Lyra**

The instant I land Emerich has me in a head lock with a knife to my neck. He laughs and his dark stank breath rushes over my face. I squeak a little and he tightens his grip.

"Listen to me, bitch."

I nod frantically.

"If you so much as try to turn on our alliance, you can find yourself being sent home in a cardboard box two seconds later. Got that?"

I nod frantically again. He lets go.

"Good. Now go kill some tributes." He turns off and begins to rummage through the Cornucopia.

**Rascoe**

The instant my feet find ground I fall to the floor. I hate heights. I take a few moments to recover, thinking that the Careers will cover me.

Boy was I wrong.

I feel something sharp and painful in my back. Howling I snap up to find Emerich licking my blood off of his knife.

"Good luck little"

I don't hear the rest of his sentence before cannon carries me into oblivion.

**Toph**

I find myself locked in battle with a girl from three. She seems quite determined to kill me, as if she has a grudge against me. She is over exerting herself trying to kill me while it takes minimal energy from me to block her hits. I kick her in the stomach and she falls to the slippery rocks below her. She looks at me with a hatred that is hard to overlook. Her hatred makes her easy to stab. It's easier to kill someone you dislike than to kill someone you love.

"Neko lets go!"

**Bennet**

Me and Ellessa take a flying leap off the waterfall, getting spray everywhere. By the time we land, we are soaked to the bone. I see Rielle running off to the woods with her hand grasping at the back of her head. I see red on her hands and I panic.

Ellessa sees me and says "Just go."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. You've been with me for your life. You only have her now."

I smile at her and nod and take off to the woods where I last saw Rielle. I turn back to see Ellessa in a frantic battle with a boy from 8 . She gives him a rough kick in the face sending his neck twisting at an awkward angle. Then she steals his pack. The next thing I know she has disappeared in a blur to the outlying woods leaving the boy dead on the ground, his blood to mix with the water. I think his name was Joseph.

Poor Joseph. . .

**Rielle**

I count the cannons in my head and stifle a sob each time one is heard.

_One. _

_Two._

_Three._

_Four._

_Five._

_Six._

_Seven._

_Eight._

Eight are dead.

I can only hope Bennet isn't one of them.

The bloodbath is long over and I have been lucky enough to evade it. I escaped with only a small pack and a small nick in the back of the head. But it hurts. A lot.

I already know that my blonde hair is stained with blood. So I hope that doesn't give away my position too bad.

I open my pack to find a sleeping bag, a bag of dried fruit and nuts, and a mirror.

Why on earth would I need a mirror? I guess it could be handy to see around corners and to watch your back. But other than that, it's pretty useless. It could be shattered and used as a weapon. . .a really wimpy weapon.

I lift the mirror and was ready to shatter it on my knee when I see Bennet in it. I whirl around and run to him and practically attack him with a hug.

"I'm so glad you're not dead!"

**Elianna**

I make it out of the bloodbath with a small pack with nothing but a blanket and funny looking glasses in it, and a knife. What good with that do me?

Doesn't matter. I'm alive and that's all that I can hope for at this point.

I make a small fire quite a bit away from the Cornucopia and set up my meager camp. It's going to be a long, cold night.

**Astell**

Night falls quickly in the arena. I have set up my camp in a nearby tree, overlooking the unsuspecting Careers. My pack contains nothing but a blanket, a few knifes, and some cheese. I inwardly laugh at the cheese. I, Astell the Flying Mouse, receive cheese of all things, in my pack. The Capitol must be laughing at the irony.

I am putting my pack away when I see Nikki out of the corner of my eye. The Careers are asleep with Marina on guard, and Nikki is sneaking past her watch.

I know Marina sees her, but she wants to know what Nikki will do next.

Nikki takes out a knife, comes up to Zach, and stabs him in the chest slowly, so that the cannon won't wake the other Careers. Nikki laughs.

"That's what you get for being stupid." She says and leaves the knife in his chest. Then she bolts off into the woods, a few feet away from the tree I'm nested in.

Marina follows her frantically.

"Nikki!" I whisper to her. She looks up and finds my big blue eyes. I wave her to climb up with me.

Marina still follows her.

At this point I am in a panic. Marina is one of the Careers, maybe she wants to avenge Zach. No, I see no wrath in her eyes. Only curiosity.

The cannon goes off and all three of us are stuck up in a tree, me and Nikki both looking confusedly at Marina who is smiling brilliantly. Both me and Nikki are so confused by her we don't know how to react, and Marina seems in no hurry to murder either of us.

"Hey, where's Marina?" I hear Emerich's gravelly voice and Marina's eyes go wide.

"Crap." She mumbles.

"That bitch killed Zach!"

"Hey, I know this is short notice, but, wanna make an alliance?" Marina asks swiftly.

I look to Nikki. I have no problem being in an alliance with her. Nikki nods at me and I look back to Marina.

"Sure."

And thus a friendship was born

_**DEATHS**_

**Angus from 12- **Fell to his comic doom**  
><strong>

**Ash from 12- **Wacked off course by Zach. Stabbed by Emerich.**  
><strong>

**Bruce from 9- **Fell to his comic doom**  
><strong>

**Joseph from 8- **Sent spiraling by Marina. Ultimately neck snapped by Ellessa**  
><strong>

**Alianah from 6- **Suicide**  
><strong>

**Rascoe from 4- **Backstabbed by Emerich**  
><strong>

**Tasha from 3- **Stabbed by Toph**  
><strong>

**Andrew from 3- **Throat slit by Emerich**  
><strong>

**Zach from 2- **Stabbed by Nikki**  
><strong>

**_ALLIANCES_  
><strong>

**Emerich, Lyra, Hackett-** Tiny Career pack (Thats kinda strange)

**Nikki, Astell, Marina- **Weird misfit power alliance

**Ellessa, Bennet, Rielle- **Separated but they are still all with each other

**Anton, Dahlia- **Unsaid but obvious

**Neko, Toph- **Weird district based alliance but neither really like each other

**Umber- **Kinda meandering out there on his own

**Ellianna**- Also kinda meandering on her own


	9. First Kills and Unnessary Alliances

**AN: IMMA ON A ROLL! I also gotta kill two more people. SORRY! I had fun writing the banter between Dahlia and Anton. They make me laugh. I also really like how the misfit alliance is working out. Bennet and Rielle make ME want to cry in this chapter so…fair warning. Emerich is falling into insanity. . .**

**NO MORE SPOLIERS**

**Enjoy!**

**First Kills and Unnecessary Alliances**

**Dahlia**

I swear Anton is following me. He won't leave me alone. He isn't much of a threat to me, so I let him play his games for a while. That boy could not be more obvious. I turned around to try and catch him in the act and all he did was hide behind a rock.

**Anton**

I think Dahlia knows I'm following her.

**Dahlia**

At one point I found a really nice tree with wide spread branches and a thick trunk with a whole lotta leaves for camouflages. It was absolutely perfect. But I couldn't climb it because I could feel Anton boring his eyes to me trying to figure out what was going on in my head.

"I know you are there." I say not looking back to see if I was right.

**Anton**

See. I told you.

**Dahlia**

That kid is so stupid. . .

I can hear the bushes rustle and Anton comes out and stares at the ground dejectly.

"Why are you following me?"

"Well. . .your different than the other tributes. You bypassed the Cornucopia, which was really smart. And I watched you in training. Your good."

So this kid has been stalking me. . . "That doesn't answer my question."

"Wanna make an alliance?" he bites his lip.

"What the heck. Sure."

He squeaks. "Yay!"

"Just don't annoy me."

He nods frantically. "Of course not! Now teach me your ways!"

This kid can't be serious.

**Umber**

I don't know where I am going.

I ignored the Cornucopia and took off in the wrong direction apparently because I can't find any water. I can't tell if any of these plants are edible, and I think I just stepped on a butterfly. **(AN: Any of you read Sound of Thunder. . .remind you of Eckels? Hehehe. Nevermind) **

Wait. . .I hear voices.

"Of course not! Now teach me your ways!"

Is that Anton? Who is he talking to?

"Well. . .if we are going to ally, we need to know a few things about each other."

Dahlia?

"Well. . .I'm good with poisions!"

"I'm good with traps!"

"We could make poison traps."

I think I'm going to hang around these two for a while. . .

"Okay, let's find some poison."

At a safe distance.

**Toph**

"Neko!" I whisper/screamed at him, "Seriously, stop complaining! You'll give us away!"

Neko sat at the base of the river depressingly. After following the waterfall down quite a bit we found a hidden river that spurts from it. It has fish, and fresh water, it is also a very great hiding spot.

"I don't like the way you are playing, Toph." He tells me. Honestly, if he weren't part of my alliance and so dang pathetic, I would kill him out of annoyance. After all, I wasted no time at the Cornucopia, went in, grabbed something, went out. "You killed that girl."

"That's the way the game go Neko. Kill or be killed. Get over it and shut up. Why don't you start building a little hidey hole for us or something."

He doesn't move.

I roll my eyes and continue rummaging through our packs. Suddenly Neko went from depressing to immediately alert.

"Something's out there." He said practically sniffing the air.

"Then go chase it." I say, glad to have something for him to do.

He starts off in a random direction opposite of our 'camp'.

"Don't get yourself killed." I joke.

Not five minutes later, I hear gun fire that makes me duck followed by a scream and a cannon.

**Nikki**

After my assassination of Zach and the Marina misunderstanding made by Emerich, all three of us hightailed it out of range of the Careers. Once we figured we were safely away from them, we took inventory of our supplies.

Three packs and various weapons. Joy.

"So, from this pack we have a sleeping bag, some assorted dried food. And some random cream that looks red." Marina says putting back the contents of one of the Career packs she stole.

"This one has a blanket, three pairs of socks, a jacket, and one right glove with the thumb missing." Astell says examining the random glove.

"This one has nothing but weapons!" I exclaim pulling out a machete.

Astell and Marina crowd around my weapon pack, each pulling out a weapon of their own. Astell pulls out a pistol and I must say, she looks comical holding such a menacing weapon.

"What is this?" she says whacking the gun a few times against a tree quite loudly.

"SHHH!" Marina grabs the gun from her. "It's a gun. Be careful with that. You pull the trigger and it fires a bullet. Very deadly and very easy to shoot the wrong person."

Astell takes the gun from Marina and puts her finger on the trigger aiming in the opposite direction of us towards a river.

The next happening went by very fast.

All at the same time, Astell closed her eyes, pulled the trigger, a boy appeared from behind a tree, and the boy fell with a bullet between his eyes.

After cringing from the loud gunfire, I opened my eyes to find Astell shaking on the ground from the force of the small gun on her small frame. Her eyes are closed and she is trembling so hard. Marina instantly jumps on her and takes the gun away.

"To loud. We will not be using that. It could give us away."

"D-did I k-kill him?" Astell stutters.

I nod and help her stand. She looks down.

"I never wanted to kill anyone. . ." her voice trails off and her eyes lock on a tree in front of us. I wave a hand in front of her face. She is unresponsive.

Marina is already stuffing all of our stuff into one pack and burying the gun. She shoves the pack in my stomach. "Hold this." Then she shakes Astell until she comes back to us.

Astell's eyes find Marina's intense gaze and tears well up in her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. . ."

"I know you didn't, but we don't have time to dwell on it. We have to move."

She took out the red cream, smeared it on a tree trunk. "Thats so we know where we have been." she explains.

Then, grabbing both mine and Astell's hands she takes off in full sprint away from the body of the boy from seven.

**Ellessa**

If I can get away from the Cornucopia, I can be safe from the Careers. But I need to find Bennet first.

What I wouldn't give for twin telepathy right now. . .

I stumble through the forest in the area where I saw Bennet and Rielle disappear to. But neither of them are around. All I find is a mirror and two pairs of footprints, one distinctly bigger than the other. I follow these footprints until I come to a clearing that reminds me of a meadow. I set my pack down and grab some crackers from it to satisfy my hunger.

"ELLESSA!"

I whirl around to find Bennet practically rolling down the hill towards me, with Rielle walking slowly behind him. I get up, leave my pack and run up to him.

"You are alive!" I scream at him.

"So are you." He says poking my face. "And you have blood on your cheek."

I wipe it off of my cheek and stare at Rielle behind Bennet who is on her knees quite a few feet away holding her head. "What's up with her?" I ask and point behind him.

Bennet rushes up to her. "What's wrong?" he asks genuinely concerned.

"My head. . .started bleeding again." She says as Bennet helps her stand. She pulls her hand away from the back of her head and I see red. A whole lotta red covering her hand.

"That looks bad!" I say coming up behind her. "I might have something for that in my pack."

I rummage around in my pack until I find the first aid kit. I pull out a roll of bandages and give them to Bennet who beings wrapping them around her head. Blood instantly seeps through the bandage and Rielle looks really pale.

"I feel. . .a little. . ." she lets out a painful moan and falls onto a waiting Bennet who immediately goes into panic mode.

I look up to the sky, praying that the Capitol can see me right now. Praying that either Rielle or Bennet, or even me, have some good Sponsors. "Hey, we have a bleeding girl down here! Any help?" No immediate answer. What was I expecting? That they would just yell back at me?

Bennet lays Rielle down on the soft grass and we move out of the open and into the forest once the night starts to fall. Bennet rests her head on his lap and strokes her hair with one hand. The bleeding slows, but it doesn't stop.

Both of them are asleep when the silver package falls.

**Lyra**

Emerich scares me. Very much.

Yesterday, when Zach died he wouldn't stop cussing. He shot off what seemed like twenty of our guns then threw them into the waterfall. Me and Hackett stayed far enough away from him so that he wouldn't shoot one of us, but there was still that threat.

This morning all three of us were awakened to the sound of gunfire followed by a cannon. Emerich grabbed three packs and told us to follow him. Not like I was going to go against him.

So, me and Hackett and Emerich set off in the direction of the gunfire. All we found was two empty packs and some blood.

Oh. . .we also found a girl.

I don't like what we did to her. I feel really awful about it.

"Hey, Hackett."

"Yea."

"Did you hear something?"

Emerich stops.

"What did you hear, Lyra?" he demands looking back at me.

"I-I thought I heard a voice."

"OW!"

"Take her with us." Emerich demands

Emerich continues walking but keeps us in sight. A girl stumbles into our path holding her head and staring at us with, big, terrified eyes.

"I'm really sorry about this." I say and hit her over the head with the blunt side of my spear.

By the time she wakes up all of us are back at the Cornucopia. Hackett carried her all the way here. What Emerich wanted to do with her, I'm not sure.

"What's your name girl?" Emerich asks her holding a knife to her throat.

"Ellianna," she chokes out between terrified sobs.

"Have you seen a blonde, named Marina?" she shakes her head and Emerich removes the knife. "Hackett. . .this is your kill."

Hackett looks at me with big eyes. The girl is on the ground sobbing holding her knees to her chest.

"What are you waiting for Hackett? Kill her."

He gulps. Closes his eyes, then stabs the girl square in the chest.

Her cannon fires and Emerich seems satisfied. Hackett on the other hand was practically on the ground with his hands over his eyes.

"Don't think bad of me Asha. . ." he said rocking on the floor. "Don't think bad of me."

_**DEATHs**_

**Angus from 12- **Fell to his comic doom

**Ash from 12- **Wacked off course by Zach stabbed by Emerich

**Bruce from 9- **Fell to his comic doom

**Ellianna from 9- **Knocked out by Lyra, captured by Emerich, Hackett made to kill her.

**Joseph from 8- **Sent spiraling by Marina, ultimately neck snapped by Ellessa

**Neko from 7- **Shot by Astell on accident

**Alianah from 6- **Suicide

**Rascoe from 4- **Backstabbed by Emerich

**Tasha from 3- **Stabbed by Toph

**Andrew from 3- **Throat slit by Emerich

**Zach from 2- **Stabbed by Nikki

_**ALLIANCES**_

**Emerich, Lyra, Hackett-** Tiny Career pack that is ruled by Emerich

**Nikki, Astell, Marina- **Weird misfit power alliance

**Ellessa, Bennet, Rielle- **Reunited and it feels so good. . .kinda

**Anton, Dahlia- **Dysfunctional but still there.

**Umber- **Following dysfunctionals ^ over there.

**Toph- **Out with a vengeance.


	10. Some Branches Break

**AN: I miss the reviews. I liked them. But now they seem to have gone. . .Oh well. I'll still write. Just please let me know if you want to see more of something in a character or anything else. Let me know if I'm doing something wrong or whatever. I can't get better if you don't tell me what I am doing wrong!  
><strong>

**Some Branches Break**

**Dahlia**

Anton and I get along alright I guess. Other than his incessant talking and annoying way of always think that he is right all the time, he's okay.

Okay, honestly I want to kill him half the time his mouth is open. And we have only had 18 hours together. Not counting after the Cornucopia where he followed me.

I almost got at him to.

Night had already fallen but the faces didn't show up yet.

"Hey, Anton," I say holding one end of a trap the two of us devised out of our parachutes and some berry juice that we determined was poisoned.

"Eh," he responed.

"Can you come over here for a second, my arm needs a rest." I had a plan. If I could get him to stand right under the trap then I could release it and get rid of him right then and there. It was foolproof. Suffocation within five minutes. That means no screaming.

"Can you just hold out for a little longer. I'm busy."

"No you're not, your just sitting their drawing in the sand!"

"I'm drawing plans for another trap."

I roll my eyes and let the trap fall. He snaps his head up at me.

"What was that for?" he asks his voice rising.

"Ooops." I say rubbing my arm. "My arm gave out." I stare at the crumpled heap of our trap. "Guess all that hard work was for nothing."

He furrows his eyes at me in anger. I smile innocently back at him. He reaches for his back pocket.

Crap.

We both had made makeshift poison blow-darts from sharpened and hollowed twigs laced with the berry poison. And he was deadly accurate with his. Me. . .I couldn't shoot a tree five feet in front of me.

"Now, let's be rational." I say reaching for my pack where mine was.

Too far.

He puts his blow gun to his lips and the last thing I see is what looks like a bear coming out and attacking Anton before I blank out.

**Umber**

Anton was going to hurt Dahlia.

I don't know what came over me, but I couldn't let that happen. So. . .I uh. I think I trampled Anton.

He's not breathing. Is that good?

His heart isn't beating. That can't be good.

Aww. . .I killed someone. The cannon confirms it.

I sit next to Dahlia and make a pillow out of this mess of parachutes on the floor.

It's not long before I see a silver chute fall addressed to Dahlia specifically. Its medicine.

I take the shot out of the silver package and slam it into her neck. I hope I did that right.

After a few minutes, her eyes flutter to light.

**Ellessa**

I hold the Capitol medicine in my hand. I hold Rielle's life right here. The real Ellessa wouldn't hesitate. But this Ellessa. ..she. . .she's debating weather to kill someone her brother loves.

No. I can't do that to Bennet. I can't be responsible for saving her either.

I can't believe I am doing this. I don't know why I'm doing this either. Because I'm afraid? Afraid of what?

Losing. I don't want to be the weakling who saves everyone who wants to kill her.

But I can't let her die. But I can't let her live.

I guess my only option is to run.

I leave the medicine. Kiss Bennet's forehead. And run into the night. Dreading a cannon.

**Rielle**

I wake up to find Bennet stroking my hair. My head doesn't hurt anymore but I feel sick.

I groan and roll over onto my stomach. I'm not sick, I'm hungry.

"Bennet. . ."

He looks at me with concerned eyes. "Yea. How do you feel?"

"Hungry." I point at my open mouth. "Feed me."

He laughs and pats my head. "As you wish." He fishes around in his pack for a while as I look around.

There is a lack of anger and know-it-allism.

"Where is Ellessa?" I ask.

Bennet gulps. "Um. . .she went looking for wood."

"Liar." I caught him. He knows it.

"She left. I hope. I didn't hear a cannon so she's not-" he is cut off by the sound of a cannon.

My heart starts beating rapidly. "It's not her." I tell him. He is eying his pack. "You can't go looking for her. I'm sure she is fine." I put my hand over his and look up at him.

"What if it is her?" he says. "I can't not leave her killer alone."

I sigh. "Just wait a few more hours. Then we can see who died." He nods and we both stare up at the sky.

Last night we saw eight faces. Angus, Ash, Bruce, Joseph, Alianah, Tasha , Andrew and Zach. The bloodbaths and the assassinated Career.

Tonight we saw three faces. Neko, Ellianna, and Anton.

"See. Ellessa is fine." I say and Benne breathes a sigh of relief.

"Do you feel well enough to move?" he asks me. I nod.

"I feel loads better after that nap." I feel for the back of my head to find that my head is bandaged and it no longer hurts to touch.

"You have good sponsors."

**Toph**

The anthem plays and I see Neko's face blaring across the sky.

Whoever killed Neko is in for it. I swear, I may not have liked that boy, but when someone just goes around and _shoots _them, not even the decency to kill with class. Then I get mad.

When I follow the sound of the gunfire all I find is two empty packs and some blood. No doubt Neko's.

I do find foot prints though. Three sets. One very small set that I know much belong to Astell. Her steps indicate an awkward run, almost being dragged and then stopping. What is that all about? The other two sets are similar in size and gait. I don't know who they belong to.

I follow them until they cut off.

I don't bother to look up. I probably should have. But I didn't.

The last thing I remember is a knife, some blood, and a scream.

Then a cannon. My cannon.

**Astell**

I feel terrible for killing that boy. I didn't even know what a gun was.

But it was still my fault. I killed him. And I didn't even know his name.

I saw his face tonight. It scared me. I thought he had come back to haunt me. When his face appeared over my head I almost fell out of the tree all three of us had managed to fit in. I ended up dangling out of it with Marina and Nikki holding onto my ankle. The world was upside-down and my tears fell backwards.

By the time I was back up in the tree there was a girl. She was following our footprints.

Before I could protest, Marina was out of the tree and had a knife in the girls throat. I made a sound that sounded something like a chocking animal and a cry.

Nikki jumps out of the tree and I follow her.

"You didn't have to do that, Marina." Nikki says taking the girls pack and weapons.

"Yes I did." Marina retorts.

"Why?" I ask her as the hover craft claims her body and we start to move again.

"She would have killed you two. And I won't let that happen."

**Emerich**

Of all the years to be in the games, I had to be in the one with the cry baby Careers.

Hackett, I don't even want to keep him around. But he is strong and I need at least one guy to keep me sane.

Lyra. . .I have already begun debating whether or not I should kill her, but she has proved herself useful in meager tasks.

I just need to keep them around until I find that bitch who killed the only other real Career in this game.

_**DEATHs**_

**Angus from 12- **Fell to his comic doom

**Ash from 12- **Wacked off course by Zach stabbed by Emerich

**Bruce from 9- **Fell to his comic doom

**Ellianna from 9- **Knocked out by Lyra, captured by Emerich, Hackett made to kill her.

**Joseph from 8- **Sent spiraling by Marina, ultimately neck snapped by Ellessa

**Neko from 7- **Shot by Astell on accident

**Toph from 7-** Knifed by Marina

**Anton from 6-** Awkwardly trampled by Umber who doesn't really know what happened.

**Alianah from 6- **Suicide

**Rascoe from 4- **Backstabbed by Emerich

**Tasha from 3- **Stabbed by Toph

**Andrew from 3- **Throat slit by Emerich

**Zach from 2- **Stabbed by Nikki

_**ALLIANCES**_

**Emerich, Lyra, Hackett-** Tiny Career pack that is ruled by Emerich. Just kinda sitting there at the moment.

**Nikki, Astell, Marina- **Best friends more like it.

**Bennet and Rielle- **The couple the misses Ellessa.

**Ellessa- **The deserter.

**Umber and Dahlia- **Kinda. . .almost reliant. Almost not necessary. Neither have a problem with the other, but neither are fond of the other either. Neutral kinda deal.


	11. Flash Mob

**AN: You are all lucky. I'm only killing one tribute today.**

**I have this HUGE plan for this story, and I think you guys are going to love the next few chapters. READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! I had fun with the title. :)**

**Flash Floods and Mobs of Monsters  
>AKA. Flash Mob ;) <strong>

**Dahlia**

Contrary to popular belief, I didn't kill Umber.

No. . .his stupidity killed him.

I was explaining to him how to make a blow gun and what berries to use for poison, and he goes and eats one. Right after I had just finished explaining to him, why he shouldn't eat it. I want to feel sorry for him. . .but I really can't. If someone is that stupid they should just consider it suicide and move on. I mean, I TOLD HIM NOT TO.

But I guess some people are just like that. . .

Here lies Umber, a victim of his own stupidity.

After his cannon fires it's not long before a very heavy rain starts. Being as near to the waterfall as I am, this is not a good thing. If it overflows, it could mean I get washed down the waterfall to my doom.

I scramble to grab my pack and hurriedly remove Umber's parachute from his back before the hovercraft claims him. I shove it on my back and scrabble up the highest tree I can find. I wait about five minutes before I see that it has already started a flash flood. My parachute won't do me much good in this weather; the rain would just weigh it down and in turn I would fall faster.

I got it. A boat.

Boy I hope this thing floats.

I pull the chute and throw it down in the water where it sprawls out and unfolds itself. It doesn't fill with water yet and it stays afloat enough. I just hope that with my weight it won't sink.

I take in a deep breath, and jump.

**Ellessa**

I can't remember when I stopped running. But when I did, I found myself in a small, wet cave that housed a river. The cave was very large on the inside, and the river that ran into the cave formed a small lake. The mouth of the cave is small, I had to duck to get in. I have water and protection. . .

Protection from Bennet.

I take out my sleeping bag from the pack and set it in a dry area. A voice in my head tells me not to get too comfortable, but I can't help it. I need some element of normality or I might lose it. I already lost Bennet to a split second decision. I don't want to lose the only other person that close to me.

I sit down in the cave and wash off some of the mud that collected onto me. As I was sitting on the edge of the cave it started to rain. Not a very hard rain, just enough to soak someone less fortunate than I am.

Bennet I hope you and Rielle are okay. I only heard one cannon today.

I watch the rain fall and the river begins to flow faster and faster into the mouth of the cave. A bit too fast for it to be safe. The lake inside begins to overflow at a rate that nature cannot create. This is Gamemaker rain.

My heart begins to pound as the lake water washes away my sleeping bag and my pack. Soon I am up to my waist in this water and quickly rising. The entrance to the mouth of the cave is completely underwater and the pulsating water is engulfing me slowly. I was never the best swimmer but now was a good time to learn. I look up, refusing to hold my breath for as long as it would take me to get out the way I came in. I keep my head above water until I realize that the water is only going up, and the cave isn't very high. My hope of escape fall as I realize the only way out has literally caved in.

I am stuck in a cave filled with fast rising water. Death is only inevitable.

I take one last gulp of air before I am completely immersed.

**Marina**

When the rain starts I immediately suspect a Gamemakers trick. When it starts to flood up to our ankles and quickly rising, my suspicions are confirmed.

"Up a tree. NOW!" I scream at Nikki and Astell. I am the first up the tree and Astell is last.

The Gamemakers have obviously been planning this because all of the trees are barely seven feet tall and the water rises to cover most of them within five minutes. The water is rising as a disturbing pace and it not long before it engulfs our tree. I can swim perfectly fine, and Nikki seems to be faring pretty well on her own. But Astell is flopping around in the water and is sinking by the minutes. The water is freezing and our weapons weigh us down.

"I can't swim!" she sobs and her head goes under. I strip off my pack and dive in after her.

She is thrashing around in water that is at least ten feet deep by now and I can see bubbles forming around her open mouth.

Thank God I am from 4.

When I reach her she is unconscious. The water doesn't seem to be rising anymore which is very good. Nikki has found a tree that is barely out of the water and she has also regained our soaking pack. The tree of us clung to the eleven foot tree until the rain stopped. But the water didn't go down until an hour later. My joints are stiff and frozen.

These games are miserable.

**Hackett**

Rain. Unrelenting rain.

Once it turns into a flood we scramble to the top of the twelve foot Cornucopia and watch as the water rises around us, washing whatever supplies we couldn't bring up with us away from our reach. As the rain pounds on our heads my mind wanders to Asha and Thyme and her first rain fall in our district. She didn't like how the water felt on her head. How must she feel now about her father being stuck in an unrelenting storm?

Emerich curls up into his jacket and falls asleep during this storm. Lyra takes this opportunity and crawls to sit next to me. We stare out at the flood. Watching the water wash around our feet.

"I wouldn't talk so freely if I were you." I whisper before she can open her mouth. "He sleeps with one eye open."

She nods and leans her head on my shoulder. I can't tell if she is crying, tears mix with raindrops. Her hair and hood is clinging to her face and neck. Both of us are freezing and miserable.

"I'm scared of him." She whispers to me.

I nod. "Me too." We look back to him, "He has the right idea though. Sleep is good."

She shakes her head. "I can't sleep calmly with him around."

"We could kill him, right here right now." I suggest, my voice so low I could barely hear it.

Lyra furiously shakes her head. "We need him. We aren't Careers without him."

"Sleep, I'll keep watch." I say.

She reluctantly nods and curls up next to me.

I can't help but think that the games never fail to turn us all into one big mob of bloodthirsty monsters. Just as unrelenting and as willing to kill as this storm.

_**DEATHs**_

**Angus from 12- **Fell to his comic doom  
><strong>Ash from 12- <strong>Wacked off course by Zach stabbed by Emerich  
><strong>Umber from 10- <strong>Ate stupid berries  
><strong>Bruce from 9- <strong>Fell to his comic doom  
><strong>Ellianna from 9- <strong>Knocked out by Lyra, captured by Emerich, Hackett made to kill her  
><strong>Joseph from 8- <strong>Sent spiraling by Marina, ultimately neck snapped by Ellessa  
><strong>Neko from 7- <strong>Shot by Astell on accident  
><strong>Toph from 7-<strong> Knifed by Marina  
><strong>Anton from 6-<strong> Awkwardly trampled by Umber who doesn't really know what happened  
><strong>Alianah from 6- <strong>Suicide  
><strong>Rascoe from 4- <strong>Backstabbed by Emerich  
><strong>Tasha from 3- <strong>Stabbed by Toph  
><strong>Andrew from 3- <strong>Throat slit by Emerich  
><strong>Zach from 2- <strong>Stabbed by Nikki

_**ALLIANCES**_

**Emerich, Lyra, Hackett-** Following the leader.  
><strong>Nikki, Astell, Marina- <strong>Best friends more like it.  
><strong>Bennet and Rielle- <strong>The couple that misses Ellessa.  
><strong>Ellessa- <strong>The spilt-second-life-changing-decision maker.  
><strong>Dahlia- <strong>Dealing just fine on her own, thank you very much.


	12. Ellessa's Nightmare Astell's Downfall

**AN: Okay, I FEEL SUPER GUILTY! For two reasons. One. It took me forever to upload. Two. This is only a filler. . .O.o Sorry. . .ITS SUPER CRUCIAL THOUGH! It sets up the next chapter (which is mostly already written) which is basically the turning point in the games. . .so. YAY! **

**Anywho. . .I'll try and make this one enjoyable. I should have the next one up in like . . .maybe a day? Maybe an hour. . .depends on how bad you want the next chapter (Which believe me, you do want to read the next one. . .its BIG) **

**Ellessa's Nightmare and Astell's Downfall**

**Rielle**

The flash flood didn't hit us too bad. The soft valley dirt soaked most of the water up, leaving us only up to our knees.

I wish I could say that I had my first kiss in the rain. But, Bennet was nervously protecting out packs, leaving me sitting on a low hanging branch with my face in my palms. I hear screaming and gargling and cussing. . .the sounds flood my mind like the rest of the flash flood.

Bennet doesn't notice of course. He doesn't notice the difference between my tears and rain drops.

I sit there for an hour as the rain stops and Bennet takes notice of me again.

"Look at you, your soaking wet." He says with a laugh.

I wipe a tear out of my eye and smile up at him. "I'm cold too."

"I think the whole arena is. . ."

I look down, then jump off the branch. Without looking up I drape my arms around Bennet and bury my head in his chest. "I don't know how much longer I can do this, Ben."

"What do you mean?" he holds me against him and the tears start falling again. "It's only been a few days."

"My head still hurts, I'm frozen and miserable, and I keep hearing screams. . ."

"What screams?"

"You don't hear them?" I snap up at him, my voice rising an octave.

"No. . .I hear canons. . ." he says slowly. "When there aren't any. And I think they are all Ellessa's. "

We stand there in silence for a while, then I hear a cannon. Bennet jumps and hides his face in my shoulder.

"I heard that one too." I say.

Claudius Templesmith's voice booms out. "Ellessa has been pulled from the game for reasons only President Snow may divulge. She is alive, but she is no longer a tribute."

"No. . ."Bennet says pushing me away from him. I don't feel hurt. He's angry. I can't imagine the pain he is in. "No!" he turns and slams his fist hard into a nearby tree.

"Bennet!" I yelp at him rushing to his now bleeding knuckles. He pushes me away from him again.

"No, Rielle! Don't!" he looks at me with eyes I have never seen. Eyes full of anger. Eyes that once were calm, rational, and charming; turned into eyes that showed only hate, rage and fear. I back away from him. Remembering that in this game, he can kill me.

But Bennet would never do that to me.

I make my way to him slowly. He has calmed down considerably but his shoulders still shake with rage. I gently place my hand on his shoulder and he turns around to face me. He has tears streaking down his face. He wasn't shaking with anger, he was sobbing.

Before I have time to say anything he has me in his arms and continues sobbing. I don't know what makes me start to cry again but when I do it doesn't show signs of stopping soon. I can't tell you how long we stayed like that. But when we broke apart, we were dry all but for our tear stained faces.

**Ellessa**

For a few seconds I think that I am dead. All I see is darkness. All I feel is the throbbing water around me. My lungs are on fire. I can't remember a time when I held my breath this long.

"_Don't think ya can do it, huh , Lessi?" Bennet teases as I watch Jeremy go under. _

"_No!" I say shaking a little. "I can do it!" _

"_No ya can't. Your scare." _

"_Wanna bet?" before I can stop myself I am under in the small canal. _

_I am under for no more than thirty seconds before I can't take it. _

"_Told you ya couldn't do it. Jeremy is still under. . ." _

_We were seven . _

This has been at least three minutes. Or at least it feels that way. I desperately want to open my mouth and let in air. But I can't. My body is pressed against the ceiling of the cave, the thrumming water holding me there, the ceiling leaving deep cuts and gashes in my body.

Suddenly, there is no more ceiling and I don't feel water anymore. I suck in a large breath of air, open my eyes, and find a large silver hovercraft above me. I don't have time to think or scream at the strange situation before the claw grabs me and sucks me inside.

I hear the cannon, but I'm not dead.

No, I'm far from dead.

Capitol doctors. With daunting masks and equipment.

I am on my knees in their hovercraft, completely breathless and confused beyond belief. I look up at one of them who holds their hand out to me.

"Welcome Ellessa. . ."

I don't hear another word before I pass out. I have not completely blacked out. I can still feel. I can feel, but I can't see or hear. I feel hurt. I feel like someone drilled a hole in me. Cold against the floor. Shaking in my sleep. I feel a tear leak out of my eye and I am lifted onto a soft bed. My whole body aches. I am cold, wet, and empty.

"I want to go home," I say. "I want to see Bennet. . ."

"That all depends on how well Bennet plays his cards my dear." I feel hand grab my wrist and hold my arm out to them. A needle is inserted into my arm and I slowly feel liquid pump into me. I gasp at it and feel myself drift off but not completely go.

"This is a liquid compound. It will keep you alive, but just barely. We can easily switch out the liquid with a sedative if Bennet dies. Though you won't wake up."

A voice, not nearly as soft or comforting as the demented doctor's voice, came booming out. It gave me a headache.

"Ellessa has been pulled from the game for reasons only President Snow may divulge. She is alive, but she is no longer a tribute."

**Dahlia**

Crap.

I am very luck that I can swim.

The instant I collide with the parachute in water I go under. And I take the parachute down with me. In the water it wraps around me and I struggle to get the knife in my belt to cut it off me. It takes me a good two minutes to get it off and get above water and by then the storm has stopped.

But water has to drain somewhere.

Quickly, I get my bearing and realize that I am about to go over the waterfall, which is currently rushing at an insane speed. I don't have time to swim away before I am carried over into the rush of water.

The pressure is deafening. The roar is unbearable. It's a matter of seconds before I make contact with ground. The spray threw me against a rock and I just lay there. Moaning in pain. Not broken, just bruised really badly.

I heard voices. . .near the base of the waterfall at the Cornucopia.

"Wake up, we are moving."

_Emerich_

I clamp my hand over my mouth to silence my complaining. I will follow them . . .

And I will kill them. . .

All of them.

Once they start moving I follow them. What I find is a horror to befall.

**Emerich**

The instant the rains stops I wake up. I grab the pack and wake up Lyra who is asleep on Hackett's shoulder.

"Wake up. We are moving."

I have a good feeling about this. I have a good feeling about today.

It's not quite morning, but it's too early to call it night. No faces flashed last night, so no one died. The capitol is counting on me to give them a show. Who am I to deny their wish?

"Why are we moving this early?"

"Because, I'm going to torture that bitch Marina."

And no one is going to stop me.

**Nikki**

Astell didn't wake up straight away. She stayed unconscious for a majority of the day. Marina says she has a lower than normal temperature. I think she has hypothermia.

I don't doubt that she has it. I may have it myself.

Astell just lies there. She doesn't move. She just breaths.

"Will she be okay?" I ask Marina. She is leaning against a nearby tree wringing out her shirt.

"Ya. She's just cold."

I lean against a tree and breathe a sigh of relief.

We sit in an awkward silence for awhile before Marina speaks up.

"I know you killed Zach."

My eyes widen but I don't say anything.

"Emerich is out with a vengeance. Against me. He thinks I killed him." She says it so coolly that I wonder if she knows the severity situation she is in.

"So, why don't we go after him?"

She sits up in a defensive position. "You think I don't want to kill that bastard? Believe me, I do." She fists her hands and then lets them go. It's not until now that I realize how much she has put herself aside for us. For two girls she just met. "That son-of-a-bitch doesn't deserve to live."

We are interrupted by the sound of coughing. Astell sits up with a shiver. "If he doesn't deserve it, who are we to not take it away?"

The next moments happen so fast that I hardly remember how I got where I am now.

Three bodies jump out at us. Astell screams. Marian swears. I bite whatever hand is around my mouth.

Now Astell is pinned on the ground against a rock. Lyra has me. Hackett has Marina.

"Have you ever heard the screams of a little mouse, Marina?" Emerich daunts, pulling out a knife.

Astell takes one look at it and screams, tears streaming down her innocent face. She tries desperately to escape, but Emerich has his knee on her chest and is ten time stronger than she is. Terror being the only coherent thought I can make out.

"You let her go you bastard."

"Oh, no." he says dragging the knife down her cheek sadistically as Astell whimpers, "We've only just begun,"

**AN: Cliffy no? **

**AHAH! I'm evil aren't I? **

**REVIEW AND YOU GET YOUR NEXT CHAPTER SOONER! And you want the next chapter. . .trust me. . .**

**You'll get your Rielle and Bennet. And you will get your big scene. . .hehehe. **

**REVIEW NOW!**


	13. Torture and Terror

**AN: Warning. This stuff if kinda violent. If you are squeamish around sharp things, I suggest you skip this chapter, even though it is really crucial.. I mean, this IS the Hunger Games. My inspiration for this chapter was the part from the 7****th**** Harry Potter where Bellatrix is torturing Hermione. I tried to capture the idea of that in this chapter just a little bit. Hope you enjoy it, ya know, once you get past all the blood ;) Oh. . . and ya'll who don't like to cry and you are in love with the whole Bennet, Rielle, and Ellessa deal. . .well. . .what can I say? You knew tears would be inevitable with a trio like that. **

**Oh. . .and instead of one ending with one victor, I am making an alternate ending. So one ending has one victor. The other has another. But I'm not going to tell you who the victors are. No. That would be cheating. **

**JUST READ IT AND ENJOY!**

**Torture and Terror**

**Bennet**

Rielle is sitting in the meadow making daisy chains. She found something beautiful in a world of death. One more reason why Rielle is so amazing.

It's been not more than five minute since we broke apart. We let those minutes slide, as if they never happened. Its better like that.

She takes her daisy chain and hooks it around my neck. Rielle smiles at me and then hugs me, her head resting on my neck. "I don't want any death today." She whispers, her lips to my ear. Apparently she didn't want anyone in the Capitol to hear or see what she was saying. "So, make to today about us. Keep the cameras on us." She releases me from the hug and takes my hand with a smile. "Leave the pack. Come with me."

Who am I to say no?

We take off running towards a small hill filled with flowers and blades of grass far too sharp. I don't care, my clothes are thick enough to handle sharp grass. When we reach the top of the hill Rielle stops and looks at me with a big smile.

"We did this all the time when I was little at eight." She curls up into a ball and rolls down the hill. At the base of the hill she pops out of her ball, her hair is all disheveled and she has grass stains.

It has to be one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

"You try." She says with a giggle.

I don't do it near as well as Rielle did, and I think I ended up three feet to the left of where I started but it was fun. Some of the most fun I have had in days.

I land on top of Rielle. "Like that?" I say looking down at her.

She shakes her head at me in mock disapproval. Then, in an imitation voice of a school instructor she says. "You have to do it more-"

A blood curling scream rang out stopping both me and Rielle. My heart stops.

_Ellessa? _ No. Too high pitched.

"What was that?" Rielle is in a panic. Another scream that makes my heart clench. It's Astell. I already know it.

_Where is the cannon? _

She pushes herself off me and took off after the scream. Leaving me no choice but to follow her.

I found her stopped behind a tree with tears streaking her face. Her hand covered her mouth to quite her sobs.

"What is it?" I whisper. She points to a clearing.

Astell...poor little Astell is on the ground, bloody beaten and screaming. Emerich is laughing. Nikki and Marina are being restrained by Hackett and Lyra.

Rielle turns into me, and sobs into my shoulder, her fists balled up against my chest. I put one arm around her and hold her to me, never will I let her break.

"Make the screaming stop." she sobs as another high pitched screech rings out. I shut my eyes and hug Rielle tighter. Screams hurt her.

"Just focus on my voice." I begin. I talk random nonsense into her ears. Anything as long as I keep talking. I tell her that I love her repeatedly, tell her the story of Ellessa's first kiss and how Jeremy gave me the black bandana. Her sobs quite down but the screams continue. It's like drowning out thunder with music. If you can't hear it, it's not as bad. "Just focus on my voice. No one can hurt you. You are with me. You always will be."

"Bennet?"

"Yes?"

"I love you." She Looks up at me through tear stained eyes and kisses me. It's not a normal kiss either. It is filled with sorrow, remorse, regret, and pain, but also full of love. But more than anything, it is filled with apology. When we break apart she is crying again. "I'm going to miss you when I'm gone Bennett."

"Don't think that way."

"But it's true." she sinks her head back to my shoulder and continues her crying.

"Rielle,"

She doesn't answer.

"That was my first kiss to."

She looks up at me with wide-eyed questions. "How. . .did you?"

I silence her with another kiss.

"That's how I know."

**Dahlia:**

I can't watch this torment. Emerich is no longer the scary boy from one. He is now the terrifying demon with a mentally unstable capacity. He has Astell to the ground harshly and I find myself listening to her screams as Emerich runs his blade lightly down her arm, drawing blood as he goes. Her screams kill me inside, but I can't tear myself away from this sight no matter how much I wish I could. I want to jump down from this infernal tree and kill Emerich, but I can't do that without attracting Lyra and Hackett as well. So instead, I watch, horrified by how these games can turn our hearts to rubble and our minds to insanity.

I can only hope I am not too far gone to see reason.

**Astell: **

Never, even in my darkest nightmares had I ever-imagined pain like this. This monster, this demon, which has me pinned to the ground, holding me down with his knee in my stomach, forcing screams out of my lungs and sobs from my friends. Between the physical pain of his blade and the emotional pain from the cries of Nikki and Marina, the worse of the two is the latter. I cannot bring myself to look my torturer in the eye, I'm too afraid of what I will see. I force my head to the side and close my eyes, wishing he would just kill me already. But no, it is not that easy.

I can feel his finger tracing the line of blood he left on my arm and the gash along with it. He brings the knife up to my chin and I wait for the pain to come, but it doesn't. Instead he roughly grabs my face and tries to force me to look him in the eyes. Tears stream down my face as he screams at me, inches away from my ears. I open my eyes and give him one last broken stare, but in his eyes, I don't see Emerich the boy from one. Instead, I see a boy, taken over by the games, his heart turned cold and cruel.

"I feel sorry for you," I choke out between sobs but he silences me as he drags his knife down from where my ear meets my head and my screaming resumes. He laughs and slams my head hard against the rock. An overwhelming headache forms and I can feel something sticky flowing out the back of my head.

Still pinning me with his knee, he moves onto my left forearm where he does something I can only feel, not see. The pain is just as horrible. By the time he is finished with my arm he tells me, "You can read. Tell me what your arm says."

I weakly bring my arm into sight and tears instantly push past my eyes. What used to be my arm is a muddle of blood with the words, _Worthless_ and _Beaten _carved into me.

"Read it!"

"Worthless," I choke out "Beaten," the words hold no meaning on my lips. They fall to the ground like a feather, and they bring nothing but sorrow.

_Bring yourself out of the games, Astell. Go somewhere where he cannot hurt you. _

I try to pull my mind out of the arena, but instead I am yanked back to this horrible rock that my back is pinned against as Emerich traces the mark he left on my face, from ear to chin. My screams have turned to desperate pleas now laden with terror and pain.

I imagine what a good show Emerich is giving the people in the Capitol. I also imagine Mania back at home, and my mother. What must this look like to her. How painful is my shattering cries to them?

I don't have time to think about that when the agony beings again, only starting on the other side of my face. I am shaking and screaming, and sobbing, and squirming, frantically trying to free myself, but it only makes him push his knee into my stomach harder and use his free hand to hold my neck down, choking me slightly. My screams come out muffled, but the pain is still there.

"Stop! Please stop!" I can hear Nikki scream with such desperation that it breaks my heart. I open my eyes to see my friends with sorrow and pure pain in their eyes. Marina refuses to look at me, but she has tears dripping off her face. Hackett forces her head towards me, I make eye contact with Hackett and mouth one word to him..._Help. _His gaze softens a great deal and I swear I see tears in his eyes. Nikki is fiercely trying to break away from her captor, Lyra, who seems to be just as upset by this as Marina and Nikki.

The torture continues as he runs his knife up and down my neck, my forehead, it's slow and deathly painful. I am begging and pleading for him to stop, to kill me now. My throat is beginning to burn from all of my pleading, and I am exhausted and weak. The world starts to spin from under me and I can feel myself start to pass out. But I hang on as I hear Emerich say, "See what pain you caused your friends, Marina? You could have made this a lot easier for all of us if you didn't abandon us and kill Zach."

Marina begins screaming at him, "I didn't kill him! Can't you see that you bastard!"

"Then who did?"

Marina goes silent. She is protecting Nikki.

"I did," I say weakly. It's not long after that I feel the butt of the knife make contact with my neck, then the world goes black and the only thing I can feel is the warm liquid leaking out of my arm, face and neck. No pain. Just black.

**Nikki:**

"NO!" I scream as Astell's body goes limp immediately, blood still flowing freely from her small body. Tears begin streaming from my eyes at the sight of my best friend, nearly dead, at the hands of a monster from District 1. I begin to slow my attempt at escape when I see that Astell is still breathing. Not for long though. Rage fills me from head to toe at the sight of Emerich's self-satisfied smirk. He looks Astell up and down and then nods, apparently proud of his work. I narrow my eyes at him.

"I hope you die like she did!" I shriek at him, I turn to Lyra and Hackett and scream at them, "How can you let this happen?" I turn to Hackett in particular, "You have a daughter for God sake! What if that was her?" I can tell I struck a nerve with him as his eyes soften and turn down.

Emerich comes right up to me, reaches his knife up to my neck and lightly traces my jaw line with the blade. I grit my teeth and resist the urge to react to the light pain. I must be strong, for Astell's sake.

"Your next, sweetheart," he says with a smile that reminds me of a roman guard betting on the death of the poor soul in the coliseum.

My heart starts racing as he grabs my wrist and slams me against a tree, hard. I can hear Astell moaning and Marina struggling. But all I can register is that my best friend is dying and I might be next.

**Lyra: **

The girl is ripped from my grasp. I hear something crack if it be her wrist or her back, I don't want to know. I take one last look at the scene and run. I can't take anymore of this torture. Plus I don't know if Emerich will tire of torturing those poor souls and move on to me next. I can hear some screaming going on in the distance but when I clamp my hands over my ears it's still there, loud and clear. I distance myself from Emerich as much as I can until the tears start falling and I can't run anymore. I trip and fall in a pile of leafs that have unnaturally sharp edges. A Gamemakers trick no doubt. I don't take any mind to the cuts across my arms and legs. As long as that infernal screaming stops.

I don't bother to stand, I just lie there, sobbing and wishing that the shrieking would finally end.

**Hackett:**

As I watch Lyra run away, hands clamped over her ears, and tears running down her eyes I find myself thinking about Thyme. My gaze finds Astell and instead of seeing the little girl from 10, I see my own daughter passed out and bleeding. A feeling of responsibility washes over me and I let go of Marina. She whirls around, punches me square in the nose, and takes off to Emerich with her knife.

Somewhere between being punched in the nose and now, I realize that I can't be feeling sorry for myself or anyone else right now. My main concern is to get home to Thyme and Asha. I look back to Astell and then to Nikki who is slumped at the bottom of the tree rubbing her wrist and moaning. I can't handle anymore of this mindless violence.

I take one last look at Marina who has Emerich pinned with a look of hate so strong, I know for a fact she will have him dead within the hour. I take off into the forest, following the path Lyra made through the trees.

After running for quite a while, I hear sobbing in the distance. I confront Lyra who is sobbing into a pile of sharp leaves.

"Just kill me now, Hackett! I can't live like this!"

Another scream and she is pounding the ground with her fists.

"Kill me!" she screams at me. "All I hear is incessant screaming! Make it stop!"

I don't deny her. "Give me your knife."

She gives it to me by the blade, cutting her palm as she does so. I make it quick, I don't give her her time to scream. Maybe that will make her go by faster.

I have killed two, no three people now. There is no way I can face my daughter as a killer. I stare at the bloody knife in my hand, and thrust it into my chest.

The cannon fires faster than I would have thought.

**Nikki: **

"You know what my favorite part of torture is, Nikki?" Emerich says, still holding my wrist which I now believe is broken. I can't breathe from the impact of the tree so I just pant as he pulls his knife to my wrist and slices a clean cut, it's not even deep. I wince. "The screaming." He continues. He grabs my other wrist, I would have punched him if he wasn't so burly. "Can you scream for me, Nikki?" he asks with a light air that would suggest he was talking to a dog instead of me. He grins at me, showing me his crooked teeth as he slashes at my other wrist.

"Never," I say as I heave my bloody hand at his face, he catches my hand in mid swing, stopping me. He lifts both my hands above my head and holds the knife to my chest.

"How about now?"

My heart starts pounding in my chest as his nose is only an inch away from mine and his knife is one mistake away from killing me. Fear engulfs me and all I can do is stare into the eyes of my torturer and hope that he has mercy enough to make it quick.

He doesn't have time to inflict anymore damage though as a whirl of blonde hair rushes in front of me, tackling Emerich to the ground. I slide down to the base of the tree and rub my broken, bloody wrist. I vaguely remember Lyra running off into the woods with Hackett close behind her, but I don't care to find their fate because I can hear Astell start to moan and her eyes start to blink open.

**Marina: **

The instant Hackett lets go of me, is the instant I can see hope again. I punch him, square in the nose. Next I turn, with my knife in hand and pounce on Emerich's back, tearing him away from Nikki. I waste no time in pinning this demented teen to the ground. I force my knife in his face and say between a snarl, "This is for Astell," all while looking him in the eyes, I run my knife right up his chest and into his heart.

Revenge truly is sweet.

Though. . .

Life has its way of shoving all of your failures in your face, and turning your success against you. I learned this a little too late. Seconds after I pull my knife out of Emerich's body I feel a splitting pain in my upper back. Suddenly I can't breathe and I am chocking for air. Emerich is laughing and coughing up blood with a grim smile on his face. He continues to laugh and spurt blood all over both of us until I can see his eyes glaze over and the cannon is fired. I claw at my back and pull out Emerich's knife.

"Shit..." I whisper looking at the bloody knife in my hand as my back continues to bleed. He must have hit one of my lungs because I can hardly breathe. I close my eyes against the pain and collapse on the ground between Astell and Emerich, trying to suck in air and only having it pass right through my lungs. I sound like some sort of animal gargling and groaning.

There is no way I'm making it home unless some of those sponsors can send down a doctor in one of those little silver parachutes. . .that would be nice.

The hovercraft appears to take Emerich and my only thought is _Why don't you just take me too. _

**Nikki: **

"Marina!" I cry as I see my ally collapse on the ground with a bloody gash in her back.

I rush to her side and try to bandage the wound but she only pushes my hand away. Tears are pouring out of my already puffy eyes at the sight of Marina on the ground choking for breath.

I grab her hand, "Don't." she chokes out.

I hear Astell start to move and I turn to face her as well. Lying in a pool of her blood, deathly pale, and dying.

She looks at me with teary eyes and asks, "What...happened?"

I cover my mouth with my free hand because I can't hold back my tears any longer. They come streaming down my face, and they don't stop. "I-I-I'm sorry." I say between sobs. "I-I couldn't...I," I just stop because Astell is holding on to my hand, weakly, but the thought is still there.

"I can't sit here and watch my best friends die," I tell myself.

"You have to..." Marina says and for some reason I laugh, but my heart isn't in it.

Looking at Astell, tortured and bloody, and Marina, drowning in her own blood, I think about the Capitol. First they take away my twin brother, and now they take away the only people I could completely trust with my life. Rage mixed with fear enters me and I wipe off the tears. I know what I have to do now. And I'm doing it for Astell and Marina.

I squeeze both their hands as hard as I can. My voice sounds different when it comes out of my mouth, more resolute and secure, less teary and terrified. "I swear, I will do whatever it takes for me to win. For us to win." I promise them.

Marina laughs and blood drip's out of the corner of her mouth. "We can't win." She says.

It's not me that contradicts her, its Astell.

"Yes...we will." She sucks in one last breath and I feel her hand go limp in mine.

The cannon fires and I find myself staring at Astell's body. Her eyes are closed, but blood covers every inch of her body. She can't...she will not go home in that wooden crate coated in her own blood. I gently wipe off her wounds and bandage the words carved into her arm so they are no longer visible. Once she is clean of blood I take her pack and weapons. I watch as the hovercraft comes to claim her body. A single tear drops down my cheek and I turn to Marina.

"You realize that if you don't win, you lied to that little girl." She coughs, "No pressure."

"I will win. We will." I take her hand and give it a squeeze. I smile just for good measure.

"I'll hold you to that!" this starts a violent coughing fit. Marina is coughing up blood and who else knows what. "Good luck," she says between coughs. She gives me a small salute and collapses on the ground, some blood still leaking out of her mouth.

I take her pack and her weapons, give her one last goodbye and walk away from this horrible bloody place that I hope never to revisit. Tears fall slowly down my face but I let them come. As I am walking a genius idea forms in my head. I rummage through their packs until I find what I was looking for, Marina's berries. The ones she used to paint trees to show where we had been.

I crush a few and find a nice place to paint. Soon enough I find this huge rock that will work perfect for what I have planned.

I am a mediocre painter at best, but I muster up a pretty good picture that gets my message across.

It's three stick figures. I drew them so they could be easily recognized as Astell, Marina, and me. We all have victor crowns on our head. A spiky haired blue person is in the corner, tied up. I smile at my work and then move so that the Gamemakers can see it.

"It's your fault they died. It is your fault! How can you live with the blood of 23 lives on your hands?" I scream at them.

I am sure that I will be punished for this, but for now, I keep walking. Then I hear it. The cannon.

"Rielle, Astell, and Marina have been pulled from the games for reasons only President Snow may divulge. They are alive, they are no longer tributes."

**Rielle**

I remember Bennet's arms holding onto me tightly. So tightly. He won't let me go. He is my strength in this game. I need him. Through all the screams and the five consecutive cannons he holds me.

Then I feel a claw at my back, slowly pulling me away from him.

I remember his screaming for me. I remember him trying to get me back. I remember screaming for him. I remember tears and a cannon.

I am sucked into a silver craft. The craft has blood and water on the floor. Four beds. Doctors everywhere. More than enough tears have been shed here, I can tell.

"Rielle, Astell, and Marina have been pulled from the games for reasons only President Snow may divulge. They are alive, they are no longer tributes."

"Why did you take me from him!" I scream at one who leads me to a white bed, signaling me to lay down. "NO! I will not! Unless someone tells me what is-" I am silenced by my surroundings.

Astell, laying on her own blood soaked bed, is covered in various gashes and her body is terribly mutilated. That's where the blood came from. She is breathing very slowly.

Ellessa, laying in a bed dripping with water, has her mouth half open and what looks like an IV in her arm. She breaths shakily, like every breath hurts. She is barely alive.

Marina is sitting up in her own bed coughing up blood. The doctors are shoving some liquid down her throat between coughs. Once she gets enough down she gives one last cough and falls back onto her bed slowly.

"Rielle, we will explain once we have everyone in a stable state. Please sit down and be quite."

**AN: DUNNN DUNN DAHHHH! **

**Who is interested now? Hmmm? **

**Please review and tell me what you think. . .A lot of people stopped reviewing and it makes me sad! I put a lot of time and effort and thought into this chapter so you should show me your appreciation by reviewing. :D **

**REVIEW!**


	14. Shut Up and Deal With It

**AN: Hey, I disappeared for a while. :/ sawwy. I got super busy with my outside life and…well…I actually forgot about this for a while. So, If your still reading this I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I promise you I will finish this, even if it takes me forever. So, stay tuned! Here is your Christmas Present! Merry Christmas! I realize this chapter is a little choppy, and I apologies for that. It was a hard chapter to write, especially when not much happens in it, physically anyway. This one is mostly mental and emotional. **

**Shut Up and Deal With It**

**Dahlia**

From my tree I see everything. I see Bennet's bleeding fists as he relentlessly pounds against an innocent tree trunk. I see Nikki, slumped numbly against a rock staring straight ahead and subconsciously rubbing her wrist.

I can't help but feel lucky. No one was taken from me.

I also can't help but feel scared. If the Capitol took enough interest in those four, enough to take them away from their ally, then what does the Capitol think of me? They obviously have something big planned for Bennet and Nikki, but what about me?

I suddenly get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Anxiety sets in. I shake my head trying to ward off this terror building inside me.

_It's still fair game Dahlia, they can't just pick and chose who dies. _I desperately try to reassure myself that they can't just kill me because they have a better idea for the other tributes. That's not fair! I grasp onto the limb above my head for support. I'm shaking.

"You can't do this to me!" Before I can stop myself I am screaming. I broke the limp above me with my hand out of desperate anger. "T-they can't. . .they can't!" The shaking has turned into a tremor. Tears are leaking out of my eyes.

I feel a Gamemaker smile. A cruel smile saying I have dug myself into the hole they wanted me in. They never were planning on killing me. All they had to do was sit back and watch as a I drove myself insane. Anxiety is something that they can't force upon someone. It's something that they force upon themselves.

I know that their plan worked. I'm as good as gone in this state. The terror I fell into was all that they needed to pick me off, all they needed to do was set it up and watch me fall. I know it worked, and that's what sends me spiraling. I know I fell for their plan, and I know, that in trying to get out, I only pushed myself further in.

They didn't forget about me. No. They only pretend to so that they could watch me melt under their Gamemakers fire.

I grab onto the tree, hoping that in my shaky mindset that it will steady me. The tears start to stream down my face and I can't see anything other than black. I lose my balance and fall screaming out of the tree. I don't bother to move once I hit the floor. I don't feel anything, but I know I'm broken. I know I'm as good as dead, and maybe that's what keeps me from getting up.

There's no use trying when you know that you're gone. The cannon is only confirmation.

**Rielle**

I try my best to keep quite in this hovercraft. But it's incredibly hard, especially when all I hear is Ellessa's labored breathing and Astell's occasional painful gasp. Marina is awake but she refuses to open her eyes. I know she's awake because I can tell the difference between rain and tears.

The doctors told me why we are here, why they saved us. Their accuracy amazes me. Down to the last emotional breakdown.

They knew that it would come down to Bennet and Nikki after the flood hit, they knew that once Emerich lost it that Marina and Astell were next on the list because of his revenge seeking nature. He would take out Astell to get to Marina but he wouldn't have a change to get to Nikki. They knew that after that happened it wasn't long until Hackett and Lyra off-ed themselves. Leaving the lone Nikki with no fight left in her, not enough to kill a couple anyway. A couple made up of an emotionally unstable twin and a harmless little girl. So they took me, they saved Ellessa, Marina, and Astell. And we are nothing more but a will to fight. Dahlia would take care of herself in time, they said, she has no fight left in her and he took herself out of the game long ago.

Me and Ellessa are hanging on to the hope that Bennet can pull through and win.

Marina and Astell are hanging on to Nikki.

All we can do is wait in this cold hovercraft until one of them dies. Then we see who will be sent home in a box, and who will be sent home on the train.

It puts me in a helpless rut. I don't want to die, but when someone's life like Astell's is on the other end, I can't help but feel guilty for living. But I still don't want to die. I'll live with the small guilt if I have to.

Win it for me Bennet. Win it for me.

**Nikki**

As the voice passes my ears, the meaning it carries slowly follows. I stand empty for a few moments, trying to decipher what this means. Astell is alive. Marina is alive. Rielle is alive, but I don't care about that bit of information as much as the others.

Someone once told me not to question good things that happen to you. I wish I could just sit here and enjoy the fact that they aren't dead, but I can't. Not in a game like this, not when everything comes with a catch and your life is on the line. I have no choice but to question it. And I'm not quite sure whether to be mad about it, cry over it, or scream in joy.

I guess I want to do a little of all three.

I'm mad that they won't tell me why. I'm mad that I know there is a catch involved and I'm mad that they won't tell me what it is.

I'm upset by it because the possibilities floating in my mind include torture, and losing them again; all because of me.

Then there is that glint of happiness because I haven't lost them yet.

I want to know why and I want to know now.

Too keep my mind away from the confusion and the change in the games; I try to keep my mind on survival. Whose left? I don't feel like counting, I'm to mentally drained to bother thinking, so I wait for night fall to see the faces.

Cannon fire pulls me away from my thoughts. At least there will one face tonight. . .

I see Emerich, Lyra, Hackett, and Dahlia. That leaves Bennet and myself.

Astell, Marina, Rielle, and Ellessa have been pulled. I understand why now.

It's starting to make sense. They are giving us something to play for. They knew it would end up like this. . .the two who couldn't kill without a motivation. The two who have something to lose. The two who have something to play for. The final battle: Nikki vs. Bennet.

Not only is it harder to kill, it's harder not to. What use to be one person to kill, has become three. What used to be one life to save, has become three. Welcome to the Hunger Games. Make sure to leave your sanity outside next to your shoes, we don't want to track in dirt.

I bury my face in my hands, too conflicted to think straight. A voice in my head stops me when I feel tears start to fall. My brothers voice.

"_Nikki, you can't just give up when things get difficult. Life is full of all kinds of crap. Shut up and deal with it."_ Strangely enough, that was all I needed to get my face out of my hands and my head back where it needed to be.

"I'm sorry Bennet. I made a promise that I'm not about to break. In another world, I wish you and Rielle well. But in this world, I have two lives to save and a promise to keep." To Bennet.

"Shut up and deal with it." To myself.

**Bennet**

Night has passed and I don't bother to see the faces. All I can think of is Rielle and Ellessa, taken from me without any answer as to why. I hear Astell's screams, and with them comes Rielle's tears. I can't take it! I can't take not knowing what's going to happen to them. Not knowing what they are doing to them. Not knowing what they plan to do with us!

Its driving me insane!

Ellessa, she can handle herself to some extent, but I worry that she might break. Rielle, I don't know if she can take it. . .whatever it is they have planned.

I slam my fist against another trunk; its numb by now, my knuckle is completely torn but I still wince. I nervously wrap my sleeve around it thinking about how Rielle would be if she saw me like this.

It's like walking on thin ice, everything you do could have consequences, not only to yourself but to others. Some people are able to pull through with selfish motives; others are weighed down by others.

What do they even want them for. . .

"Congratulations final two! As you may be well aware of, we are currently under strange circumstances that we hope to discuss later over dinner. Join us tomorrow for a feast! Leave your weapons and packs behind, we only wish to talk. Would you come if we told you that your missing friends would be there? After all, that is what you're playing for now. Their life. . ."

**AN: Review please! It lets me know your still reading it! I'm sorry Dahlia; I wish I could keep you around longer. It's for the sake of the games. Told you I have something big planed. :D Stay tuned, things are about to get interesting. **

**ALIVE:**

**Nikki-** Fighting for Astell and Marina

**Bennet-** Fighting for Rielle and Ellessa

**PULLED:**

**Marina from 4-**Coughing up her lungs- Would have been killed by Emerich

**Ellessa from 5**-Currently in a half-conscious state- Would have drowned

**Rielle from 8-**Watching all this horror

**Astell from 10- **Hanging on just hardly- Would have been killed by Emerich

**DEAD:**

**Emerich from 1- **Stabbed by Marina  
><strong>Lyra from 1- <strong>Stabbed out of pity by Hackett

**Zach from 2- **Stabbed by Nikki**  
>Dahlia from 2-<strong>Anxiety killed the cat.

**Tasha from 3- **Stabbed by Toph  
><strong>Andrew from 3- <strong>Throat slit by Emerich

**Rascoe from 4- **Backstabbed by Emerich****

**Anton from 6-** Awkwardly trampled by Umber who doesn't really know what happened  
><strong>Alianah from 6- <strong>Suicide

**Neko from 7- **Shot by Astell on accident  
><strong>Toph from 7-<strong> Knifed by Marina

**Joseph from 8- **Sent spiraling by Marina, ultimately neck snapped by Ellessa

**Bruce from 9- **Fell to his comic doom  
><strong>Ellianna from 9- <strong>Knocked out by Lyra, captured by Emerich, Hackett made to kill her

**Umber from 10- **Ate stupid berries****

**Hackett from 11- **Suicide

**Angus from 12- **Fell to his comic doom  
><strong>Ash from 12- <strong>Wacked off course by Zach stabbed by Emerich 


	15. Watching Your Heart Stop

**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!**

**AN: So, I'm going to do this chapter a little differently than normal. Instead of it being from Nikki or Bennet or even Astell, Marina, Ellessa or Rielle, it's going to be from the Gamemakers POV (AKA me ). You'll see why in a moment. If I did it any other way then it wouldn't have the same effect. Its only for this chapter. It won't happen again. :) I promise. Enjoy! Oh, and no one dies in this one! Yay! **

**Dear goldie031,**

**I held up my end. Your turn. ;) **

**Watching Your Heart Stop**

**Gamemaker Allie**

There is something exhilarating in knowing that you hold twenty four lives in the palm of your hand. Most people don't understand it. It's what I live for. It's the control that sends a chill up my spine. Knowing that they are completely helpless to your every whim.

There is always a glint of guilt when you see the screen monitoring their vitals go blank. But, it always comes back on. In our mind they aren't really gone. Their just . . . missing.

Remember those chips we put in their arms to make sure we know where they are, those control more than you think. With one press of a button you can stop their heart, simply through that little chip. In case we know that they are as good as gone, and they are simply wasting time in a boring death. Like Dahlia, she gave up. If we had let her go on any longer, all she would do is lay there. No entertainment in watching her lay there. So I press the button and Dahlia goes faster.

Don't tell anyone else that, if anyone knew that we were remotely humane, then that would ruin our reputation.

My finger lingers on that button for each one of those tributes longer than most would admit. It's thrilling to think that one slip of your hand can accidentally end a life. I love it.

I watch from my post, staring intently at the screens where Nikki magically stares straight into one of our hidden cameras and begins talking to Bennet. Bennet continues to pound away at a tree and a hovercraft comes to claim Dahlia. Turning behind me, I watch as the hovercraft where our _guests_ are waiting lands and they are all escorted out.

Astell is awake, finally, and has to be helped into the room. She is utterly miserable. Ellessa walks in shivering cold and wrapped in a soaking blanket; we broke her long ago. There is no more of the guarded Ellessa, only a soaking wet and broken girl. Rielle reluctantly walks out with a death stare plastered on her face. I can see behind it easily, she's on the edge of giving up. Marina's glare, however, is all genuine. She has to be restrained by two of our doctors before she takes her seat.

"I don't see your motivation for being violent Marina. We saved your life." I say with a flourish of my hand, my fingers lightly brushing the small black button that would stop her heart if I so wished it. She simply glares at me and I laugh. "Oh, that's right. You can't talk anymore," I feign pity, "How sad," When Emerich stabbed her; he not only hit her lungs, but took out her voice box. It saves us a lot of trouble not having to listen to her complain. "Rielle, you seem to be hiding something, care to share?"

She shakes her head and looks at the ground. "It always amazes me how you people can enjoy ruining us."

"Oh sweetheart, we live for it." _Besides, none of it is real anyway. _

Ellessa gives a shivering breathe, involuntary of course. But I want and excuse to pick her apart. I'm on a roll.

"Cold?"

She nods and wraps the wet blanket around her even more.

"Poor baby. . ." I finish it off with a laugh and turn back around to my screen.

The games have gotten boring. All it is, is Nikki and Bennet trying to sort out their life. It needs a jolt to get it going into where we want it. That's why I'm here.

I glance down at a bright red button. That particular button has been tempting me throughout the whole of the games. It's synched to every chip belonging to tributes in play. Those chips do so much more than track, monitor and stop. . .

I turn back to our_ guests_ who have been seated and ever so quietly loathing me. "Watch closely, girls." My finger slides smoothly over the red button and I stare at the screen with narrowed eyes. "I love my job,"

I don't bother to look back at their reactions; I would rather hear it and use my imagination to fill in the rest. It's more fun that way.

The instant I press the small red button the girls behind me all but explode. I hear Rielle gasp, followed by Ellessa's shaky scream. Marina manages a low growl with whatever is left of her voice. I think Astell attempted a shriek, followed by hoarse and incoherent mumbling. I imagine silent tears and crumpled ex-tributes.

But what I see on the screen is two tributes that have crumpled to the ground involuntarily. Fainted. Fell. Collapsed. Unconscious. Whatever you want to call it, they aren't in control of themselves in the moment. Nope, I have complete control of them. They're not dead, no. What do we have to gain without a Victor and four random tributes? No, it's all part of the plan.

"Y-you killed them!" screams Rielle. I imagine her clinging to her chair, keeping herself from doing something stupid. I laugh, but I don't look back to them.

"Overreacting are we?" I snap and men flood the arena to claim their bodies, leaving their packs and weapons behind. "It's only to ensure they show up unarmed to the feast. No one is going to hurt them," I stop and laugh at the irony of my own words. "Well, not right now at least."

I take my eyes off the screen for a moment and completely turn myself around to them. I lean against the tech board behind me and find the small red button linked to the girls sitting in front of me. Rielle is exactly as how I imagined her to react, offensively defensive. Astell has crumbled herself in half and is mumbling to herself. Ellessa is still shivering but her face has taken some more strength into it; it seems she's actually trying to put up a fight. Marina, it's almost comical how much she seems too loath me, still restrained of course.

I wave goodbye to them with feigned regret. "Nighty night." Then I press the red button and watch as the four girls in front of me fall to the ground each with an uneven thud. I smile, "See you at the feast."

**AN: Just so ya'll know, I'm not this ruthless or sadistic. Trust me, this is me on whatever those freaks in the Capitol are smoking. Capitol crack or whatever. I'm a very nice and NOT TERRIBLE person! Hope you enjoyed the drama and change of setting. I had so much fun writing this. Just because it was something new for me. :P I hope you liked it as much as I did. **

**I miss the love. **

**Send me some in a review?**

**Please and thank you!**

**The review button is right there. It's not too hard to just press it and tell me what you thought. And it makes my day!**


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